


RED WEST I.

by witchann2



Category: Johnny's Entertainment, KAT-TUN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Western, American History, Complete, Drama & Romance, Light Angst, M/M, Revenge, Sex, Sexual Content, Shooting Guns, Swearing, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Violence, Western
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-09
Updated: 2016-09-17
Packaged: 2018-08-07 16:57:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 51
Words: 264,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7722532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/witchann2/pseuds/witchann2
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>To live during the Wild West period is nothing for weaklings. Is there even any space for the values as friendship and love? Or should all emotions be forgotten, if you want to survive?<br/>Kazuya lives with his mother in the small town in Montana, not aware of that the arrival of one handsome stranger is going to sway not only with his life, but also with his heart...<br/>Jin seeking the vengeance for his best friend would have never thought that one nice bartender is going to change him much more than he could have ever expected...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is just a short beginning of a quite long (currently) two-part western AKame story RED WEST, which is my precious hobby for more than 3 years now. Since there´s quite a lot of chapters already done (more than 80 ^_^), I´ll try to post one new here every day. I hope you´ll enjoy reading it just as I enjoyed writing it.

**Montana Territory, August 1871**

 

An unexpected storm was coming.

The sky was covered with the dark thick clouds and the strong wind was bending the treetops of those few oaks that have been growing around a neat one-storey house. A long thunder was heard in the distance as the dark warning before the upcoming rage of the nature. But it was not the only danger, which was approaching the home of one immigrant family…

A slim boy was standing on the hill in the back part of the small farm, watching the sky in the west, from where something not that scary for him as for his brothers was approaching. According to his opinion, storms were fascinating. They were always so strong and furious, hitting everything and everyone on the ground with wind, lightening and raining without mercy. He had already seen the first lightening of this one and was waiting impatiently for the next, when a call was heard behind his back.

“Kazuya! Come home!”

The boy, disappointed from the fact he was exposed so soon, turned away from the black clouds and ran to his mother, who was waiting for him just under the hill.

“I told you not to do that! It´s dangerous!” she scolded him right away.

“Come on, Mum, it´s not!” her son shook his head vigorously. “And it´s still far away!”

“I don´t care how far it is, it is still a storm!”

Mother pulled the boy into the safety of their house and closed the door.

“Just wait, I´ll tell your father you´ve been naughty again.”

“You´re a traitor, Mum,” Kazuya pouted.

“Watch your tongue, young man!”

The small boy obeyed this time and just kept staring stubbornly at his Mum´s brown apron.

“Mummy!!” a yell was heard from another room. “We are hungry!”

Kazuya´s mother let go of a deep sigh.

“I´ve already told you we will wait with the lunch for your father,” she said while going in the direction of an unsatisfied screaming.

Young Kazuya just rolled his eyes. His two younger brothers were still so childish. He was already eleven years old and he knew how to behave. Well, most of the time he did. And he even overheard his father once, saying that his oldest son behaves too adultery for a kid of his age. It was very rare for their father to praise them about anything, so he felt really proud thanks to it, even though his Dad didn´t say it into his eyes directly.

Kazuya intended to go after his mother, when another strong gust of wind pushed the front door open, revealing the view outside. And that was when he saw them - a group of horse riders on the driveway approaching their front garden.

Surprised Kazuya walked out of the door and stopped at the veranda. As far as he knew, they didn´t expect any guests… Then he noticed that all those strangers had their faces covered by some cloths or scarves and he got scared.

“Dad? Dad!!” he called over loudly, so that his voice reached through the noisy wind to the short man, who was just closing and securing the stable with their two horses.

His father turned his head questioningly and Kazuya pointed to the driveway with his hand. When the man realized, what the reason for his son´s concern was, he pulled out the small gun from the waistband immediately and started to run half backwards to the house without letting the riders from his sight.

“Kazuya, return to the house! Now!” he screamed in a voice which couldn´t have been disobeyed.

The boy stumbled over the threshold as he rushed to get inside and bumped into his mother. She grabbed his shoulders firmly and just one short glance outside was enough for her to squeeze her son so hard that it hurt.

Then the shooting began. The sharp awfully loud sounds, which made Kazuya terrified. He saw his father pointing with his gun at the attackers. Another shot.

“No!” it was his mother screaming desperately.

“Run…” Kazuya´s father managed to say hoarsely, before he fell down to the ground.

Kazuya spotted the red color on the Dad´s chest right before Mum released her grip on his shoulders, shut the door with a loud bang and ran to her other two kids. They were already both crying from fear, when she grabbed them into her arms and dragged them to the back door.

“Kazuya!” she screamed urgently and that shook him out of his stiffened state.

They slipped out of the door together. They ran like crazy in fight for their lives, even though Kazuya knew that they have no chance. Those men had horses, they didn´t. But he ran because he felt so much afraid as never in his life before.

There was another shot, which sounded like a thunder to him. He was surprised, when something made him to fall down and bury the face into the soil. He didn´t feel it first, but then it came... Some numb pain in his back.

“No, Kazuya! No!”

Mum...

It was weird, he couldn´t speak out aloud.

What is going on? Kazuya was not able to think clearly.

Then he heard the horses trotting, and they were so close…

“Please, don´t! Not my kids!!”

Screaming and crying brothers. Kazuya heard them as loudly as the next thunder, which suddenly filled up the air. The storm was already very near. And that numb pain didn´t want to go away.

Kazuya turned his head a little and he could see the dark hooves through the straws of grass. Though he tried hard to move more, it was impossible.

“Let them go, you bitch!” that voice was strange, and Kazuya didn´t like it.

“Noo!!”

Other two gunshots froze Kazuya´s heart. Sobbing and crying of the two kids was suddenly over. One of them fell down right in front of his eyes. He could see the strange bloody hole in his small brother´s head. It started raining and the small drops created two red trickles on his sibling´s face.

Kazuya couldn´t breathe all of the sudden, he was losing his senses. And he felt burning tears in his eyes and also something really hot and unknown deep inside of him.

The very last thing he could perceive was an evil laughing, the sound of clothes tearing and desperate crying of his mother. And then the darkness came and absorbed him, so there was nothing but silence.

***

 

Their house wasn´t one of the biggest in town, it didn´t even belong to those middle-sized. It was one of the smallest buildings, located on the edge of the recently built city. And it was also the ugliest. At least, Jin thought so.

He didn´t care about it when he was a small child, but as he grew older, he noticed the disgusted looks of other citizens, which they gave to him, his brother and also their home. They didn´t dare to look in that way at their father though and their mother rather remained in the house all the time.

Jin was only thirteen and he was already working for the local blacksmith, who assigned him with some small tasks, so that he could have brought home some reward in the form of food and rarely money too.

He was sitting at the threshold too tired from his job of that day to do anything else than staring at the sky, which was clearing up slowly after the crazy storm that hat just passed across the town. The west was turning into the red color, which could have been seen in the narrow lines between the tearing up clouds.

“Dad!” an excited yelling tore him off his dark thoughts. “Dad is home!”

It was his younger brother Leo, who had been playing on the wet ground of their front patio with some sticks all that time. Jin looked at the main road to confirm the message of his sibling, who was already running towards the rider. Then he turned a little to the narrow hall.

“Mum? Father is coming!” he announced for his mother to know it was time to prepare the dinner on the table. He always did it like that, so that she had enough time for it. If he wouldn´t have done it and their father wouldn´t have found the meal prepared, there were always troubles...

His father was a tall gloomy man in his forties. He didn´t speak much, but he could lose the temper and get angry very easily, even over some trifle. Everything had to follow his orders and decisions. If not, he focused his frustration on the nearest possible target. And that was usually his family.

Once, when Jin was alone with his Mum, she told him that father wasn´t always like that. He changed a lot after an unsuccessful search for gold, for which he had spent all of their money and ended up on broke. Not even moving their home into another town helped much.

Jin learnt to avoid his father if possible and not to attract attention, if he didn´t want to get beaten. He was the target of his bad mood the most often. So he stood up to clear the way into the house. But before he went inside, he looked once again at his small brother, who was hopping happily around their father´s horse. And the old man didn´t snap at him for it. It looked like father was in a little better mood than usually.

And only a few minutes later Jin got to know the reason, when the head of their family sat to the table in the tiny kitchen and put a few notes on it. Mum lost her voice for a moment, just staring at the money, then at her husband.

“What did you get paid for, dear?” she asked quietly.

Jin, standing in the doorway cautiously, was also confused, just Leo was patting at the table excited from the sudden improvement.

“Mr. Karnaka gave me a job,” their father responded on a strange voice.

“Karnaka?” their mother repeated slowly. “My dear... What did you do for him?”

“It does NOT matter!”

A sudden outburst made Jin to twitch a little and his Mum backed off from the table. Leo looked like he couldn´t decide, if he should hide under the table or not.  
“It was a job, which I brought money for! Don´t care about that and give me some damn meal! Now!”

It was here again. His father got angry, his face red, hands grasping in fits. Mum immediately obeyed and started to serve him in the record speed, even if there was not much to eat. Yet.

“I´m not so hungry, Mum...” Jin uttered a quiet apology.

She just nodded and made only Leo to take a seat. His father didn´t give him even one look, already throwing the potatoes inside his mouth.

Jin gave one last glance to the money, which were still put at the table. He had a really strange feeling about them. He didn´t want to touch them at all. It felt like he would have got dirty from it.


	2. Newcomer in the town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The actual first chapter of the story; set ten years after the happenings in the prologue...

**_Montana Territory, October 1881_ **

****

**I** t was only shortly after the sunset and the cool evening breeze blowing from the mountains already invaded the streets of a small town in the south of Montana. Bozeman City was not big in comparison with the huge cities full of breathtaking skyscrapers, which were specific for the following century, but it was the second biggest in the territory at that time. The kerosene lanterns hanging above verandas were illuminating the wooden houses faintly, and their slow movements in the wind were creating the strange shadows, in which anything and anyone could have hidden.

It was a busy part of the day for the saloon stuff, which was located in the only building within ten miles radius with more than two floors. The taproom was almost full, filled with the smoke from many cigarettes, with the smell of spilled beer and the loud voices of more or less drunken men.

Just an hour ago, a group of Indians from Blackfeet Tribe left the small square, where they were selling the various animal furs. White men usually gave them some alcohol, tobacco, small trinkets and rarely medicaments for them. It was only one-side-advantageous deal, which Indians hadn´t realized fully yet and now the men in the saloon were arguing about who made a better business with the red nation.

“Hey, boy! Where´s our beer?!”

Kame just glanced in the direction of an unsatisfied yell and nodded his head while finishing the filling up of the last tankard. He placed all six beers on the tray carefully and brought them to the table at the window, avoiding all other tables and chairs skillfully on the way, even though there was not much space left. But the young bartender was rather skinny, so it wasn´t a big deal for him.

“It was about time...” he got an annoyed grunt instead of simple thanks.

Kamenashi didn´t pay any attention to it and just put all tankards in front of the rude customers, before heading back behind the bar.

It was not the most pleasant job he could have, on his feet for long hours, dealing with drunkards and their stupid remarks all the time, but considering the other possibilities he had in the town, it was the best. He needed a lot of money and Harada´s Saloon was the right place, where he could get them. He had already been doing worse jobs to earn enough cash for his mother´s medicaments, anyway.

Kame started preparing glasses for another round of beer which, he was quite sure, would come soon, and despite the noise in the pub, he didn´t miss the sound of a swing door got open. It was so very typical entrance of each right saloon in the west and they were not in such a bad shape to creak while moving, but Kame had a sharp hearing. So he was the first one to check the person entering the taproom.

The bartender immediately noticed that it was not anyone local. He had already known most of the citizens by face, when not by name. At least those who liked drinking, playing cards and women´s company, who were always present at the pub thanks to the deal, which was negotiated between Mister Harada – the saloon´s owner – and the near brothel holder – Madam Sukina.

The new guest was a tall guy wearing a dusty hat with wide brim, which was covering his eyes. His shoulders-long black hair were tied in a ponytail, a middle sized dark coat with a high collar followed him as he moved, the clamped trousers exposing the slim thighs and a half-unbuttoned beige shirt uncovering his tanned skin. Kame also noticed a scarf around the man´s neck, which was as dark red as blood. And of course, inevitably, the most important things in these days were visible along his hips, half-covered by the coat – two revolvers.

A stranger was not what Kame had expected at all. It had been many weeks since any newcomer welcomed to Bozeman City.  But before Kame could have thought about an unfamiliar guy more, he headed his steps right towards the bar, followed with quite a few stares already. Any new face had always woken up people´s curiosity and sometimes also worries about who the newcomer might have been.

The black-haired man sat down at one of the barstools and in a slow motion he took off his hat. Very dark eyes focused at Kame, who stopped cleaning the glasses and returned that glance. The stranger was much younger than Kame guessed and he had an unusually good-looking face, even though it was half-covered by the dark stubble. But those eyes of his possessed cold and very sharp impression. And there was one more thing, which was easily visible for Kame. The young man was very tired, probably after a long journey.

Kame came to the new customer hastily, as he felt the strict stare of the saloon´s owner on himself and he realized that he should finally do what he was paid for.

“Good evening, Mister. What would you like?” he asked politely and on a little lower voice than usually, as also the pub became kind of quiet.

“What have you got?” a question followed from the guy.

He had a deep and hoarse voice, which was showing the tiredness too.

“Rum, whiskey, beer or water,” Kame named the four main beverages he could provide to the saloon´s visitors.

“What about tequila?”

Kame couldn´t help and raised an eyebrow. It looked like his customer had a picky tongue.

“Well, we have a bottle or two... But it´s the most expensive drink from our offer, Mister.”

“Doesn´t matter. I can pay for it,” the guy stated so confidently, that Kame didn´t even think about trying to talk him out of it.

He just nodded and left the bar for a while, as he had to pick the bottle up from small locked cellar, which he could reach only through the kitchen. At the time he came back, the conversations and arguments in the taproom almost came back to normal. The citizens lost their interest in the stranger for the moment.

The newcomer took the wide small glass and drank it in one swift gulp.

“One more.”

Kame served him right away and then left the guy alone for a while, to collect the empty tankards from the tables.

“Can I get something to eat?” the black-haired guy asked him politely, when he got back.

Kame had to admit that even though the stranger looked like he was able to bear a lot of alcohol, he had some manners at least.

“Of course. We have some beans and bread left. Is that all right for you?”

“Anything,” the handsome guest seemed quite pleased with the fact, he was going to have some food.

“Fine. You can sit there at that table in the corner,” Kame said. “I´ll bring it to you right away. Would you like a beer, too?”

The stranger smiled a little and it changed his face completely, making it look even more handsome.

“Yes, please.”

Kame nodded again and headed to the kitchen, while he wondered from where this guy came from. He wasn´t used to such a nice behavior from his customers...

*

 

The braised beans were a little cold and the bread stale, but Kame´s newest guest didn´t seem to mind that and the whole serving disappeared in his mouth in no time. When the stranger finished his beer too, he looked much more satisfied.

Kame came to collect his dishes after he got paid from the huge group of cowboys, who were playing the cards for the whole evening and they left the saloon still arguing about who cheated whom.

“Anything else?” he asked the black-haired one.

“Yeah, actually... Do you have any free rooms?”

“Of course, we have two or three vacant. But you must ask the owner - Mr. Harada - directly. I can´t decide it.”

The guy looked a little surprised.

“Oh, is that so?”

“Yes, he chooses whom he will accommodate or not. He is sitting right there,” Kame pointed at the big table in the back part of the saloon, which was covered with some papers and many cigarette butts. Harada used to sit there almost every evening. “And be polite to him, Mister,” he added and retreated back to the bar.

Washing the dishes, Kame wondered why the hell he said that last sentence. He never did it, never gave any advises, even though he knew that landlord Harada was quite moody and able to throw out on the street even the United States President. So why did he warn that guy? He knew him for like twenty minutes and there was not any reason for him to be helpful…

From behind the bar, Kame watched how the new guy stood up and approached Mr. Harada, who was a muscular man with very short hair and dangerous appearance. But Kame already knew that all of those things were hiding a really good heart. Harada employed him, when he was lost about what to do and was considering really desperate options for how to earn some money...

For next few minutes Kame was busy with serving the rest of the guests, so he couldn´t watch how the conversation went and by the time he returned back to his place with tons of empty bottles and his purse quite full, the deal was already done and Mr. Harada was standing at the bar with the stranger by his side.

“Kame, lead our guest to the stalls and then to his room upstairs, here´s the key,” Mr. Harada ordered him, placing the metal at the counter and returned back to his table and cigarettes without even waiting for his reaction.

Kame was already used to it, so he just put the tankards aside, took the key and asked the black-haired guy to follow him.

They went out on the saloon´s long veranda, which was filled with now empty comfortable wooden chairs and then down the three stairs to the side of it, where was the place for each customer´s horse. Kame waited till the guy untied his, which was a surprisingly beautiful stallion of black color, with the long mane and tail. He was also carrying the belongings of the guy, together with some box of unusual shape. If Kame was right, it was hiding the guitar. And that made this guy even bigger mystery.

The horse seemed to be just as tired as his owner; they really had to travel for long. No wonder, when the railway was still far in the east and it wasn´t supposed to reach Bozeman City earlier than in two years.

The expectant dark glance tore Kame off of his thoughts. The newcomer was holding his horse for the bridle and waiting patiently for Kame to show him the way. The bartender scolded himself for losing control over his curiosity.

“Follow me,” Kame murmured and led the way around the building to the back yard, where the huge stalls were located.

“Aren´t you too young for this job?” there was a sudden question behind his back.

The stranger´s voice was not so hoarse anymore, but still very deep and quite pleasant. Maybe that was why the question didn´t piss Kame off as usually. He got asked like that too often.

“No, Mister. I´m twenty-one already.”

“You look much younger.”

“Many people say so...”

Kame was expecting another curious question, but it didn´t come…

 

They reached the stalls in silence. Jin hoped that he didn´t insult the young bartender, who was unexpectedly nice for such a city, where people were usually suspicious as hell and hostile to any strangers, so he rather didn´t ask anymore.

The young guy opened one wind of a big door, which were poorly visible in the light of two lanterns. They were probably worried for a possible fire from the dry hay.

“Just wait a minute,” his guide asked him and headed to the dark space first. “Mike! Mike, where are you?!”

Jin peeked inside curiously and he saw the guy going to the back. Then he turned to one stable, opening the low counter, and after that it sounded as if he smacked somebody over the head.

“What are you doing here?!” the young bartender tried to silence his voice, but Jin caught the words anyway. “How many times did I tell you not to sleep at work?!”

Some unsatisfied and sleepy murmur responded him.

“Get up, now!”

The bartender´s face was showing a slight annoyance, when he literally dragged for an arm some small disheveled boy in front of Jin, who couldn´t be more than thirteen years old.

“Help our guest to take care for his horse,” the youngster hissed at the boy, while Jin was trying to hide his amused smile.

“Ehm, yes... Mister? May I?”

“Of course, but be careful... My Kuro is proud and you must treat him with respect.”

The horse neighed quietly as if he wanted to confirm the words.

“Eeeh... Of course, Mister...” the boy swallowed heavily.

Jin released his stuff from the horse´s back and wanted to put it down before undoing the box too, but there was already the bartender at his side, reaching his thin hands out for the two bags.

“I´ll help you,” he offered.

It was really rare to come across such a helpful person in these days. Slightly surprised Jin just nodded and let the younger one take the bags, while he grabbed his precious box and handed the bridle over to the boy.

“What about the saddle?” Jin asked a little worried.

“Don´t worry, sir,” the small boy smiled so widely, that his teeth shone in the dim light for a second. “We have a shed for them, and that is always locked by Mr. Harada for the night.”

“Ok, then...”

The boy and his horse disappeared in the stalls and he once again followed the young man´s lead back to the building, but by the back door this time. They avoided the smoky saloon like that, going right upstairs. His room was on the top floor, the third.

The bartender put his bags to the floor carefully and unlocked the door. Then he turned back to him and thanks to the fact they were standing right under the light of the lantern now, Jin could see how tired the guy actually looked. It was praiseworthy that this exhaustion didn´t reflect on his behavior.

“Here is your key, Mister. The bar is opened since eight o´clock in the morning; you can have a breakfast there if you like. The water pump is down next to the door by which we went inside. In case you need anything, Mr. Harada is almost always downstairs, or myself.”

“Thank you,” Jin accepted the key from the skinny fingers. “Is there a barber in the city?”

“Yes. It´s quite nearby, I can show you tomorrow if you like.”

“That would be great, thanks,” Jin nodded gratefully.

“You´re welcome, Mister,” the young man stepped out of his way. “Good night.”

 The bartender headed back through the narrow hall. Jin watched him until the guy reached the stairs and disappeared from his sight. Then he took his bags and locked himself in the small but neat room.

***

 

Kame walked through the door as quietly as he was able to, avoiding the boards in the floor about which he knew were creaking and headed to the living room, which was still warmed up with the dying fire in the fireplace. There was a blond girl in the armchair with book in her lap, sleeping. He just shook his head and touched her shoulder gently.

“Lena. Lena, wake up!”

The girl opened her eyes confused.

“I told you to go home after dinner,” Kame whispered to her.

Lena yawned widely and stretched her arms. Kame caught the book before it could have fallen down to the floor and made some noise.

“I didn´t want to leave your mother alone...” the girl stated smiling a little.

“She would have been fine,” Kame insisted. “Your mother is the worried one now!”

“All right, I´m going now...” Lena got up onto her feet. “I bet she is not asleep anyway...”

Kame narrowed his eyebrows.

“I´ll take care of her. Go already, or your mother will chew my head off.”

“Oh, she won´t,” the blonde laughed with the hand across her mouth. “She likes you too much for that.”

“Just go...” Kame pushed the girl towards to door. “Should I walk you home?”

Lena rolled her eyes.

“It´s just across the street! I´ll be fine!”

“Ok...”

“Good night, Kame!”

“Night,” he repaid the girl´s waving and closed the door.

Then Kame looked in the direction of the bedroom. He could see the light through the space under the door. He walked to it and hesitated for a while, before knocking very silently.

“Kazuya...” the weak voice greeted him almost at the second he peeked inside. “Welcome home...”

His mother was sitting in the middle of cushions and blankets, leaning on the headboard and with her glasses on. She was knitting something, which didn´t have any proper shape yet. Kame uttered a tired sigh.

“Why do you not sleep, mother?”

“I was waiting for you, honey,” the grey haired woman replied with the smile.

Kame sat at the edge of her bed and took the mother´s cold hand into his.

“I told you not to. It´s late, you should rest.”

His mother´s smile faded away a little.

“I do nothing but resting for the whole day,” she complained. “I can wait for you, at least.”

Kame couldn´t be angry at her, even though he would really want to.

“Fine, then. But now I´m at home and you can sleep.”

“And I will,” she nodded slowly and squeezed his palms. “I know you´re safe here now.”

Kame stiffened for a second, but shook the painful memories off fast. He took the knitting away and put it on the nightstand carefully.

“Do you need anything?”

“No, my dear. Just put the light off, please.”

“Of course. Good night, Mum,” Kame kissed her on the forehead lovingly.

“Good night,” the woman responded in a quiet voice.

She was obviously really tired. And it made Kame angry at himself, even though he couldn´t do anything about it. With a heavy heart, he doused both kerosene lamps and the room fell into darkness.

***

 

Jin was standing at the open door, which led to the narrow balcony in the second floor corridor, with the cigarette between his lips. He was watching Bozeman City falling quiet and dark.

He was somewhere out there. The man he was looking for. The one, who caused him a lot of pain and suffering. The one about whom he could not ever forget, even though he had never met him…

Jin was sure he would find him and carry out his revenge. But he had to be careful. Many questions always rise up a suspicion and he didn´t need any attention at all. And he also had to think carefully about his own answers. Already Mister Harada questioned him a lot and he had to count with more questions coming.

But it did not matter, nothing of it.

_I will do it… I will keep that promise,_ Jin thought looking at the stars above the silent city, and remembering his best friend´s dead body. _I will accomplish what I promised to you no matter what_.

 


	3. Indian friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter no. 2, where you get to know Kame´s friend...

**T** he next morning was cold and it took some time before the sun was able to chase the persistent chill from the streets away.  It was only the middle of October, but the winter season was always long and tough in Bozeman City, also thanks to the influence of the Rocky Mountains, whose impressive shape could be seen on the west and south horizon. All leafy trees were already changing into red and orange colors, slowly drying up to the brown and the conifers started to play the main part of green in the whole scenery.

Mr. Harada was sitting in his favorite armchair on the veranda, enjoying his first morning cigarette and letting the sunshine to warm his stiffened muscles up, while listening to the first chatting on the main street, to the horses neighing from the stalls behind his saloon and to the sound of clinking dishes from the kitchen.

He stayed awake till long in the night, putting all necessary bills and the list of supplies in order. He was not exactly the accountant type and he would like to transfer this annoying job to some of his employees, but unfortunately it was not possible. Not for now, at least. None of them had any education in that, he would have to teach them himself first. And there was absolutely no spare time for that.

Unsatisfied because of problems with no solution, the saloon´s owner inhaled the smoke deeply, when the light steps approached him and the greeting was heard.

“Good morning, Mr. Harada.”

“Morning, morning…” the man jut murmured, still lost in his thoughts.

*

Kame knew that expression on the saloon owner´s face quite well. He didn´t want to disturb his traditional morning habit, so he just walked into the taproom and then headed to the kitchen.

“Morning, sweetheart!” a loud welcome hit him right in the door. “You´re early today!”

A sturdy little woman with brown hair, which already had some sparkles of grey in them, was performing her usual dancing in the kitchen and even though she was busy with the preparation of some dough, she added a bright smile to her greeting.

“Good morning, Miss McBain.”

It was already a few years since she celebrated her fortieth birthday, and even though she was a widow, she insisted on everyone addressing her as ´Miss´. Melody McBain was employed as a cook and maid in Mr. Harada´s saloon. She worked since the early morning and always finished right after the dinner time. Only the evenings and nights were usually Kame´s job, but he sometimes came to help during a day, too.

“When you´re already here, would you be so nice and went for some shopping?” she asked him immediately. That was so her style.

“Of course,” Kame nodded. “What should I buy?”

Miss rolled her eyes.

“Don´t even ask. Our dear boss prepared the whole list!”

*

 

There was only one convenient store in the city. Its owner Mr. Franko was very moody man in his fifties, with a big stomach and with even bigger greed. The only competition he had was a small drugstore on the opposite side of the town and its female owner was selling only the things, which were usually wanted by women like soaps, towels, candles and perfumes. So each citizen visited the Franko Store regularly; everybody knew the old man and his wife.

Kame crossed the main street, turned the corner around the post office and headed further to the one-store large building with the green wind shutters. Already from far away he could hear an angry voice from the shop, which made him to knit his eyebrows. He fastened his pace, and just when he reached the shop´s entrance, a tall figure with long hair was pushed out roughly.

He reacted out of pure instinct and caught the man for an arm, before he could have fallen down to the dusty ground. His eyes met the dark and desperate look of the red man.

“Liwan...” Kame recognized him right away. “What are you doing here?”

Before the Indian could have responded, another loud reaction filled their ears.

“I have exactly the same question!” a yell came from the mouth of a fat man, who appeared in the doorway.

“What´s going on, Mr. Franko?” Kame asked carefully. “Why are you so angry?”

The merchant pointed his index finger to the Indian´s figure so furiously, that his stomach under the shirt shook in one big wave.

“I do NOT sell my goods to the red men!”

“I need it,” the Indian said in calm but urgent voice. “Please, Mister Seller.”

“No!”

Kame felt the rise of anger after those words. He stepped aside a little, so he covered Liwan behind him partially.

“What is your problem, Mr. Franko? As far as I know, you didn´t mind doing a business with Indians yesterday at all,” Kame was forcing his voice to stay calm, not to upset the man even more. But that was a futile effort.

“That was on the square!” the man spitted off a few saliva drops with the response. “But no Indians at my shop! He scares my customers away!”

“I did nothing bad,” Liwan dared to defend himself again. “I have money. I will pay you.”

“He is your customer too,” Kame tried another approach to support his words.

“He is Indian!” Franko´s face turned red from anger as a giant tomato.

What irony that he seemed much more as a red man at that moment than Liwan himself. But Kame really didn´t want to worsen the situation, so he kept that thought behind his lips.

“Get out before I pull my gun out!”

That was something what finally made the Indian to change his so far composed expression.

“I do not accept threats. I will fight back,” he said coldly.

“Liwan,” Kame turned to him. “Stay calm.”

“What did you say??!!” Mr. Franko´s yelling was already attracting the attention of some people on the street, who stopped and stared at them. But nobody intended to interfere in the quarrel. “How do you dare?!”

Kame was already angry enough to punch the man right into his face, not to mention Liwan´s mood, but he froze on the spot, when an acerbic voice was heard behind their backs.

“That´s enough, I´d say...”

The man, who spoke at that moment, was the last person they needed to appear. Kame turned his face to the broad-shouldered yellow-haired man in dark clothes. It was Math Grenet, the sheriff´s deputy.

“Math! Thanks God!” Mr. Franko exhaled as if he had just finished the marathon. “Finally, some order came.”

“Take it easy, Franko. You´ll have a heart attack again.”

There was a disgusting grin on the man´s face. Kame couldn´t help it, but he always felt sick, when that guy was around.

“Hey, redskin. What about to stop bothering the decent citizens of our town and go back from wherever you popped out?” Grenet´s words were supported with the shotgun in his hands.

Liwan clenched his fists and Kame noticed the familiar coldness in his face. The situation was getting really dangerous.

“I don´t think this is necessary, Grenet,” he watched the man´s face, but was ready to stop Liwan from doing anything stupid.

“I decide what´s necessary and what is not, Kamenashi. You,” Grenet pointed the barrel of the gun at the Indian. “Get lost.”

“Not before I get disinfection,” Liwan was deadly serious.

“Really? Well, then we have a problem. I think I have to use force against you...”

“Put that thing away, Grenet!” Kame requested, stepping forward.

“You should care about your own business, baby boy,” the man growled. “Before you´d get hurt because of some dirty redskin shit.”

Kame wanted to jump on that bastard and teach him some manners, even though he knew it wouldn´t have solved the situation, but suddenly another voice joined their ´conversation´.

“But I think you really should put your gun down, Mister.”

The merchant, Indian and Kame looked at the new participant on the scene surprised. Grenet stiffened under the cold touch in his back. It was a newcomer from the day before and he was aiming with his own pistol at a very unpleasant place of Grenet´s body.

“You don´t want anyone to get hurt, do you?” the young man asked calmly.

Grenet gritted his teeth, but he lowered the shotgun slowly.

“Good,” the stranger said satisfied and stepped back from him with the gun still in his hand.

Grenet turned to him immediately.

“Who the fuck you think you are? You´ve just threatened the sheriff´s deputy, dumbass!”

The black-haired guy raised his eyebrows, looking quite honestly confused.

“I thought that this position is supposed to keep order and peace in the town. Not to kill the unarmed.”

The pissed off deputy spitted to the ground. There were too many people around listening to them for saying something careless.

“Is that disinfection all you need?” Kame looked at the Indian. Liwan nodded, so he turned back to the merchant. “I will buy it. I suppose you don´t have problem with that, Mr. Franko.”

For a few seconds, the merchant seemed to be on the edge of another bursting out, but then he went into the shop and brought the small ampoule out without a word. Kame gave him the requested amount from the money he got for the shopping. Franko pulled it from his hand roughly and marched back into his store.

 “I will pay back to you,” Indian lowered his head in the sign of gratitude, when Kame gave him the disinfection.

 

“Don´t worry about it,” Kame assured him.

Liwan gave the last cold glance to the merchant store, jumped onto his horse without a saddle and rode away with his head held high.

All that time the new guy and the deputy were having their match in who of them would have a sharper look.

“Don´t you have something in your eye, Mister? You keep blinking...” the young guy noted.

Kame was amazed by the stranger´s insolence. Grenet narrowed his eyes.

“I will watch you, stupid face.”

The newcomer smiled at him without any sign that he took the insult personally.

“Same here, Mister.”

The deputy spitted out some saliva again and left the scene with the shotgun leaning onto his shoulder. The new guy put his gun back to its place only after Grenet disappeared from their sight completely.

“Thanks for help, Mister,” Kame appreciated.

 “None needed,” the black-haired one just waved his hand. “I simply don´t like the types like him...”

“Well... I think you had just made an enemy for yourself.”

The stranger shrugged. But it seemed too forcefully careless according to Kame.

“Thank you, anyway. Can I do something for you in return?”

“Yes, actually. You can show me that barber´s place you told me about yesterday.”

*

 

The young bartender led him through another narrow street, where the nice white building was located and the smell of soap was filling the air in front of the main door. He wouldn´t have had many troubles to find this place himself - Bozeman City was not so big - but he rather asked for the lead. He was really interesting, that young guy. To stand up for an Indian like that, it took guts.

“Here it is. Have a nice day, Mister.”

The bartender was ready to leave right away, but something made Jin to stop him.

“Wait a minute,” he caught his elbow slightly.

The guy turned back to him surprised and stepped away a little, so Jin let his hand slip down.

“Anything else, Mister?”

“Yes,” he nodded determined. “Can you please stop that “Mister” thing already? There´s not such a huge age difference between us, you know. It makes me feel like an old man,” he complained half serious, half amused.

The young man´s eyes went wide after this. He probably surprised the younger one, but Jin felt the way that guy talked to him was stupid and he didn´t like it at all.

“Well...” the bartender obviously didn´t know what to say, so he decided to simplify it and reached out his hand towards him.

“I´m Jin,” he introduced himself with an assuring smile.

The other one hesitated, but then accepted his gesture. His palm was warm and small in Jin´s grip.

“You can call me Kame,” he didn´t repay the smile, but Jin didn´t mind that.

“Nice to meet you.”

“For me too,” Kame took a step back and continued to observe him, but quite curiously this time. “But... Don´t you mind people calling you by the first name?”

“Well...” Jin put the hands into the pockets, suddenly not so sure about why he had introduced himself like that. “To be honest,” he said slowly. “I don´t mind _you_ to call me like that.”

Kame was the one lost at words this time.

“Why?” he just managed to ask.

Jin shrugged.

“Simply because I like you,” he grinned satisfied that he found the answer, which corresponded to the truth. “Can I ask you about something too?”

The guy was too surprised to react in any other way than nodding his head.

“Why did you stand up for that Indian? I don´t want to imply anything racist as that asshole but… You know that you´re bringing yourself into troubles like that, don´t you?”

Kame was studying his face for a while, probably wondering if Jin was worth of replying or not.

“He is not just any Indian for me. He is my friend,” he said in the end.

“Wow… That´s…”

Kame´s face and voice became cold in the next words.

“Weird? Crazy?”

“No!” Jin raised his hands in the air for defense. “I have nothing personal against Indians. I´ve met good ones as well as bad. It´s just surprising.”

The young bartender calmed down and his expression changed after that, which made Jin to smile again.

 

“Well…” all of the sudden Kame felt the urge to explain his attitude to Jin. “His father, a shaman of their tribe, saved my life when I was a kid. I´ve spent some time in their village, they taught me a lot of things, took care of me. I will never stop paying them back for what they did for me. And Liwan happened to be my very good friend during that time.”

Jin nodded with a serious face, wondering what could have happened to this likeable guy in the past.

“I understand… I didn´t want to offend you in any way, all right?”

It was the first time Kame smiled a little.

“No harm done.”

“What was that Indian´s name again?”

“Liwan.”

“Sounds nice... Does it mean something?”

“Yes. Bear Sleeping.”

Jin blinked in amusement.

“Well, that´s concise,” he admitted. “He definitely seemed to me as a sleeping danger. I wouldn´t want to piss him off.”

“And I wouldn´t recommend it to you neither,” Kame reacted.

 “Ok, I will remember that,” Jin laughed shortly.

It was surprisingly easy and pleasant to talk with Jin. It was very unusual to meet a guy like him and Kame realized that thanks to that he had completely forgotten about his duties…

“Excuse me, but I have to go. Thanks for the help, once again.”

“You´re welcome.”

“Have a nice day, Mr… Ehm, Jin.”

It was both weird and natural to say it aloud, but it made the young man smile widely.

“You too, Kame.”

Young bartender left him in a hurry and Jin watched his slim figure until he disappeared behind the corner. He had never met someone like Kame in his life, he was sure. He grew up in a big city, surrounded by tough men, gun men, cowboys. They didn´t go far for a vulgar word or a bullet.

Wild West was not a safe and peaceful place to live in. And who was not able to adapt to it, was doomed to misery and death. That was why people were tough, rude, suspicious, pretending to be strong, even though they weren´t. There was no other choice.

Kame was different. He was really beautiful for a man; Jin had to admit that. A slim figure, middle long brown hair, kind eyes. All of this surely gained him a lot of mockery. It could have made him a coward doing everything for not being noticed. But he was the opposite. Standing behind his opinions firmly, opposing the dangerous man with a gun for his friend. It was admirable.

Jin definitely didn´t think that anyone would caught his attention in this city like that. He just wanted to solve his business and leave. But it was a nice surprise.

Finally, he turned to the barber´s place with the tempting idea of a bath in the hot water. But his dreamy expression disappeared right after he saw the price list on the wall.

“Thirty dollars for hot water??” his jaw dropped seeing it.

He was more than willing to pay more money for the booze, but for the damn water? And another ten dollars were necessary for a soap and towel. But after the whole week of bathing in the damn cold river he really needed it. So with unsatisfied huffing Jin entered the house anyway.

But damn, he was about to skip his favorite drink that evening, or the savings he had with him would disappear faster than the steam, which was leaking out from the door.

*

 

Mr. Franko wasn´t very helpful towards to him, when Kame came back to the store, but in the end he got everything necessary and returned to the saloon, where he got scolded from Miss McBain for being so late, as she had to hurry with the breakfast preparation for their guests and then lunch too.

After that Kame went to apologize to Mr. Harada for using his money for disinfection. He explained the whole situation and waited for the judgment from strict man.

“I will deduct it from your salary,” Mr. Harada said without any sign of annoyance. “Now help Melody with the breakfast and then you can go home. I will need you in the evening again.”

“Yes, sir.”

Harada didn´t say anything else and Kame was grateful for that.

“Can I ask you for one more favor?”

The man narrowed his eyes.

“What is it?”

“I would like to take a day off tomorrow. Can I?”

The saloon´s owner put the rest of the cigarette down into the huge ashtray.

“What day will be tomorrow?”

“Sunday, sir.”

“That´s all right then, everybody will be out of cash. You have my permission.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“I want you back on Monday morning.”

“Of course,” Kame nodded and already almost turned away, but there was one more question from Mr. Harada.

“How is your mother doing?”

“Still the same. Thank you for asking, Mr. Harada.”

“At least it´s not worse,” the man tried to sound encouraging.

Kame just nodded and walked inside the bar. Harada was right; it was not worse. Yet. But Kazuya was afraid that it was just the question of time…

*

 

Jin left the barber´s place for a few dollars poorer, but quite satisfied not only with the bath itself, which washed away all that smell and dust which he had collected on the way to Bozeman City, but also with the information he gathered. The barber was quite talkative man. So during the bath and shaving, he talked almost all the time and it wasn´t even necessary to ask him for it. Just a little sign of interest was enough for the man to let go off the waterfall of famous gossips and the latest news.

So without any big effort Jin found out that the man he was chasing for – Mr. Raynold Karnaka - hardly ever visited the city himself. He only had his deputy in the town – Math Grenet. And he had the real power to decide, not the sheriff. The old man rather shut up and lived till the next morning before opposing the will of Karnaka´s right hand.

The boss spent most of the time in his mansion, a few miles from the city towards the east, surrounded with huge property and tens of bodyguards. His name was feared within hundred miles radius and he was known for his cruelty, intelligence and power over the people. It also seemed true what Jin had found out in the city he visited before. That Karnaka appreciated courage and shooting skills a lot. There were many men, who wanted to join his ´soldiers´, but not many were able to gain his respect. Most of them were kicked out of his lands, if lucky then with their clothes on, if unlucky then on the hearse.

Jin was thinking a lot about a way to attract this man´s attention and there was one thing he came up with. It was said that Karnaka had the collection of beautiful furs and animal heads. He was a hunter in the younger age and he was enjoying it even now. So Jin thought that bringing up a bear´s head as a gift wouldn´t be for vain. But it would have to be a grizzly bear and nothing less.

For Jin´s luck, Montana was well known for the scary tales about always hungry gigantic bears, he had even spotted the two of them himself, when he was a kid. So he was determined to track down and kill the animal. It was a great excuse for coming here, believable cover up and it could have taken him close enough to that man. And that was all he needed to put a proper bullet into his thousand times cursed head.


	4. Blackfeet Tribe

**I** t was the dance time on that evening. Every Saturday night meant the never ending flow of demands for the one-shots of strong alcohol and for the glasses of beer for Kame. The three men in the corner were playing their instruments quite skillfully, making half of the present people to get up on their feet. The ladies from Madame Sukina´s brothel, wearing all tones of garish colors, were the most active on the dance floor, knowing that their efforts would be paid back in the form of drinks for free and horny customers. The saloon´s guests were stomping, screaming and dancing like there was no tomorrow and then they wanted to drink more, thirsty from their moving exertion.

Kame couldn´t afford to have a break even for one minute to be able to serve everybody. He was relieved only when the small music band stopped playing finally and they let the pianist have some space in the program. A few customers left to the brothel, and some set off to their home, too drunk to think of anything else than sleeping. That was when the mysterious newcomer appeared again.

Jin entered the taproom and headed right towards the bar. Kame noticed that the visit at the barber was quite a profit to the young stranger´s appearance. He nodded his head slightly, to let the older one know he took his presence into account and rushed to Mr. Harada´s table with his late dinner first. When he returned, Jin was leaning against the counter with a tired face.

“Kame, be so nice and give me some beer,” he requested right away.

The busy bartender gave the other one a short glance.

“No way, I won´t give you anything,” he said sharply.

“What?!” Jin looked at him seriously hurt. “Man, I´m dying over here from thirst!”

Kame finished the preparation of the beer tankards for the group of cowboys and took the full plate into his hands.

“You have to pay for it like everybody else,” he informed the insulted guy. “I said I won´t just _give_ it to you,” and he left confused Jin alone again.

It took Kame a lot of effort not to laugh, when he saw the other´s face after coming back behind the bar.

“Of course I will pay. You´re mean to me,” Jin complained.

Kame hid his smile and prepared another glass for the pouting guy.  Even though he was already exhausted, the black haired one´s presence made his mood somewhat better.

“Then express yourself properly,” he reacted calmly.

Before Jin could have reacted, there was a call from the middle of the saloon.

“Hey, you! Greenhorn!”

Jin turned his head and noticed that the sheriff´s deputy was the one who spoke, staring at him directly. He pointed at himself questioningly.

“Yeah, you,” Math Grenet confirmed with an arrogant nod. “Join us,” he gestured at the empty chair at their table, where he was sitting with three other gunmen.

A few glances from the rest of drinking customers headed in Jin´s direction; everybody was waiting for what he would do. Even Mr. Harada stopped eating, observing the situation closely.

“Gladly,” Jin agreed calmly and came across the room to the invited place.

He sat down and not showing any surprise he accepted the offered cigarette, curious about what might have caused the change of that asshole´s attitude.

“I think we had started from the wrong end,” Grenet spoke not so loudly, but Kame caught his words, as they were sitting quite close to the bar. “I´m Math Grenet. The local sheriff´s deputy.”

He reached his hand over the table and Jin accepted it without even blinking.

“Jin Akanishi.”

“An unusual name...”

“I´m not any usual guy.”

Grenet laughed amused, which made Kame to feel a little sick. That man was a horrible actor...

“That´s what I call self-confidence. Do you hear it, boys?”

His _boys_ expressed their agreement obediently. Meanwhile Kame finished filing up Jin´s glass and took it to their table.

“Thanks…” there was a quiet expression of gratitude from Jin.

“Hey, Pretty Face, when you´re on it, hurry up and bring some beers to us too.”

“Right away,” Kame nodded, even though he would have rather spilt the rest of Grenet´s previous drink all over his head.

“So, Akanishi… What brings you here to this ugly town?”

The answer followed almost immediately.

“Hunting.”

“Really?” the sheriff´s deputy raised his eyebrows so high that it looked pretty stupid. “And what do you want to hunt?”

“A grizzly bear.”

Grenet shut up for a while, watching Jin in disbelief and Kame behind the counter blinked in surprise too. He didn´t know what Jin´s intentions were in Bozeman City, but he wouldn´t have thought the young man was one of those crazy hunters obsessed with bears. He couldn´t help to feel a little disappointed.

“So, you are either very brave or completely crazy, man,” Grenet reacted finally. “All locals know that you can only run in front of that creature or use dynamite against it.”

“I don´t need dynamite to put some bear down,” Jin said without any sign of worries.

“There are not _bears_ in Montana, greenhorn,” the deputy continued mockingly. “There are _monsters_ here. If you spot one, run for your life or you will end up as its dinner.”

“Thanks for the advice, but I think I´ll try my luck.”

Grenet narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

“What for? Do you want to have it as decoration in your house, or what?”

“No. I´d like to give it as a gift,” Akanishi explained.

Kame walked along their table and that sentence disgusted him even more. To kill an animal just for fun… Or for some _gift_. He didn´t like that idea at all.

“To whom?” Grenet raised his final question.

“To Mr. Karnaka.”

Kame stumbled over one of the chairs. Just at the last second he kept his balance and covering his face expression returned to the bar. So he was wrong relying on his instinct and thinking Jin was a good guy. According to him, nobody who wanted to please Raynold Karnaka was worth of wasting any time…

*

Jin managed to surprise Grenet; it was obvious on the deputy´s face. The man probably didn´t expect to hear the name of the most infamous man around from his mouth. Jin realized that he must act his part really well now. It was not so unusual for anybody to seek for Karnaka´s attention, but he attracted Grenet´s suspicion with his behavior on the day before.

“I´d like to work for him,” Jin added to his previous statement firmly.

Grenet dragged a long shot from his cigarette, watching him with sharp eyes.

“Now you have my attention, Akanishi... So, you would like to impress the most powerful man in the county, huh? That won´t be easy.”

“I know. But I will do whatever it takes to accomplish it. I heard that Mr. Karnaka is quite generous his loyal employees...”

“I can confirm that,” the deputy´s smile was wide and slimy as of the poisonous snake.

“Oh. So you work for Mr. Karnaka?” Jin just hoped his wonder was believable enough.

“We all do,” Grenet said.

The men around the table laughed shortly. By that time Kame came and put the beers at their table.

“Pretty Face, add whiskey to it,” Grenet ordered him. “We have to drink for our greenhorn´s luck.”

The bartender just nodded and left them without even single look at Jin.

“I´m quite curious about you, Akanishi, so keep me informed, how your hunting goes. It´s not such a bad idea with that bear thing, but I´d love to know how many legs you´ve got left after the encounter with some furry beast,” Grenet´s laughter was really insulting this time, but Jin just smiled.

“I´ll try my best.”

 _To deal with you right after that old bastard..._ he added just in his thoughts.

***

 

Montana was one of the most beautiful countries in the world. At least according to Jin´s opinion. Not that he would have traveled so much to be able to compare, but even if he did, he didn´t think it would have changed his mind.

Bozeman City was located at the very foot of the Rocky Mountains. Only an hour of ride on his horse´s back was enough to get him right into the middle of breathtaking wild.

Jin stroked his dear Kuro across the neck and the horse stopped his movement obediently. He dismounted, let the animal stand under the group of spruces and he himself climbed up a short steep hill. When he got up, an incredible view opened right in front of his eyes.

The mountains seemed to be much closer now and the heavy clouds were touching their peeks slightly. Their reflection could be seen at the surface of crystal clear water of the wide lake, surrounded with many flower bushes and trees. The early autumn gave the coldness to the whole scenery, as not many trees around were deciduous, so there was not much color in the scenery, just the impressive grey of the mountains and the dark green of tons of conifers.

Jin was just standing there for a while, enjoying the peace of the place, the cold wind in his face and hair. It was easy to forget about the shitty reality here, impressed by the purity and power of the nature itself.

But he was not there for some vacation. He got up early that morning, cursing himself for drinking too much the previous night, when quite a hangover almost threw him back to the bed. After some fighting with his own laziness he set off to the woods in the south, just like the day before. He needed to look for the tracks, for any possible places where the bears could have their dining place. The salmon’ spawning was near, so Jin intended to find one of the tributaries of the Yellowstone River. It was highly probable that he would be able to find some signs of bear´s presence around. He just hoped that it would not start raining from those scary clouds.

He returned to Kuro, who was chewing some sweet straws of grass calmly, knowing very well that his master was planning something stupid again, but determined to obey him no matter what as always.

It took Jin two hours and a lot of bad language to find what he wanted finally. It was only a small stream, but even that meant progress. The bad thing was, when he realized it would probably take him three more hours to get back to the city, as his sense for orientation was a little confused. Without the sun it was more difficult to identify the correct directions.

Jin ate some bread together with the sweet cranberries and headed back in own tracks, when he noticed he came across a narrow, but quite trampled road between the trees, leading along the stream. At the moment he thought that he should better be careful, Kuro neighed warningly. He wanted to take cover between the trees, but it was already too late.

All of the sudden there were movements all around. He just managed to put his right hand on the gun-stock, when he realized that he was surrounded by at least dozen of Indians on no-saddle horses. Each of them had a bow, a few even firearms and all of them were aiming at him. Those folks didn´t look friendly at all. And there was absolutely no space to back off, they were all around him.

Jin was not that stupid to provoke them, so he raised his hands in the air to show he didn´t intend to do anything careless. He was amazed with how quiet those red men were. He didn´t notice them or their horses at all, until they wanted him to know about them. They stopped a few meters away and then one Indian appeared right in front of Jin, who looked more important than the others, with a long feather in his dark hair. And right behind him...

Jin´s jaw dropped when he recognized the young man approaching him together with the Indian. It was Kame. He was not in his usual bartender´s outfit – the dark trousers, white shirt and black vest; he was wearing almost the same pants with fringes, which all Indians had and the dark blue poncho, which protected him from the cold. Also his hair wasn´t tied up properly, but he let it loosely, falling to his face. To the face, which seemed just as surprised as Jin´s one was.

Jin was staring only at the young bartender, while the Indian with the feather was observing him. Then he turned to Kame, whose face suddenly changed into almost annoyed expression and asked him something in their language.

Jin almost fell down from Kuro to the ground, when he heard Kame answering in the same way. So the guy meant it seriously, when he said he had learnt many things from Indians. They were discussing something for a minute, while the rest of the red men were still threatening him with their arrows and Jin didn´t dare to utter even one word. Even though there was peace between the white and red nation for now, you never knew what and when any of them might do. They were quite pissed at the white ones, which was not something to be surprised about.

Finally, they stopped talking, and Kame led his white mare around the Indian´s horse and approached Jin. The feathered Indian gave a short order and for Jin´s relief the bows were put down.

“Can I dare to be relieved to see you here?” Jin asked awkwardly.

Kame gave him the look, which Jin didn´t understand. It was disgusted, disappointed and maybe even angry kind of expression.

“You are at the Blackfeet Tribe´s territory. It was appointed to them by the government and they don´t like any uninvited visitors here. Whatever the reason, you shouldn´t be here without informing them and asking for permission.”

Jin put his hands down slowly.

“Well... I didn´t know that.”

“I thought so. I explained to them that you are a newbie here. They will let you go for this time.”

Jin was confused with the cold voice Kame used while talking to him. He didn´t know what he did to make the other one angry. Maybe he was so sensitive about the intrusion into these woods, too?

“Thank you,” he said seriously. “I´ll leave right away. And please tell them that I´m sorry.”

Kame grinned in disbelief; it didn´t suit him at all.

“You can tell them yourself. At least half of them can understand English.”

“All right,” Jin reacted immediately. “Who is their leader?”

“That one right behind me,” Kame responded slowly, watching him carefully. “He is the Tribal Chief´s son.”

Without any other words, Jin got down off his horse, avoided Kame and his mare and headed to the said Indian, who was watching him with the eyebrows narrowed to one strict line. Jin stopped right in front of him, clearly realizing the arrows, which were immediately pointing at his head again.

“I sincerely apologize for invading your territory without permission. I will be more careful next time.”

The Indian was staring at him for a while, before he nodded his head slightly, waved his hand and in the next second he was leaving the place as well as the other Indians from his tribe. Jin watched him to disappear between the trees, when Kame´s mare stopped next to him. He lifted his eyes to the brown ones, which seemed confused.

“If you want to hunt, go somewhere else, Akanishi,” those were the last words, which Kame said to him and then left in the same direction as the Indians.

Jin felt much better, when everyone were out of his sight. He turned back to Kuro, who was watching him with a quite clear expression: _I´ve told you this is a stupid idea._ He continued his way back to the city finally, pondering about Kame´s expression and words.

_Akanishi..._

Why did the younger one call him like that? What the hell did he do to him?

***

 

The Blackfeet Tribe´s village was very well hidden in the mountains area, located above the beautiful waterfall, which was a part of some nameless stream and surrounded by the steep slopes. All Indians protected their rare secret places the best they only could. Most of the members of their nation in the whole States was living, or better said surviving in the reservations with the clearly given borders. There were not many places, where they could feel truly safe and free. And that small village of the Blackfeet´s Indians was one of them. At that time, at least.

Kame could hear the high-pitched sound of the cedar flute from far away and it tore him off the pessimistic thoughts, which were going mostly around his mother, but also around that Mr. I-Am-Hunter.

He didn´t get that guy at all. On one side the young man seemed to be nice, kind and also kind of foolish and on the other, he wanted to give to the biggest bastard in the ten miles radius the grizzly bear´s head, just to please him. It was obvious, that Akanishi had already started looking for the tracks, what else he would be doing deep in the woods. But he also looked really serious about the apology for intruding somewhere, where he wasn´t supposed to. Kame knew no one, who would have reacted like that. It surprised the Tribal Chief´s son too and he was the man, who bore great grudge against the white nation.

Kame forced himself to stop thinking about something unnecessary and focused on the purpose of his visit in the Indian village. He came to see Liwan´s sister, a seven-year-old child, as she was the one for whom Liwan needed the disinfection. She got hurt while playing with the other kids nearby the city and unfortunately, some infection got into her injury, which couldn´t have been healed with the usual Indian methods. She had a high fever and was very weak. There was a real danger that if she would have caught any illness, which was highly probable in those days, it could have killed her. It was just a small scratch. But despite that something stronger than herbs was necessary, so Liwan came to Bozeman for the medicine.

Kame was happy to see the little girl was better after that. She was sitting covered with three blankets right next to the shaman of the tribe – her father - who was playing the hand-made flute, together with a few of other kids, who were listening to the sound just carefully as she was.

Kame let one of the Indian women to take care of his mare and went around wigwams to the center of the pueblo, where this nice group was sitting. Unnoticed by the children yet, he crouched down to small Beara. He didn´t want to interrupt the performance, which brought him some memories from his childhood too, so he just sat down and waited till the man stopped playing.

“I´m glad you´re better,” he said in a quiet voice then.

Beara´s stopped clapping her hands and her head turned to Kame.

“Kazuya!” she smiled at him excitedly. “Liwan said you here morning.”

Indians kids´ English was far away from being perfect, but it was understandable. That was something not many tribes were able to accomplish.

“I was, but you were sleeping.”

“You stay?”

“No, I have to go back. I am sorry, Beara.”

The girl pouted unsatisfied.

“Not.”

She dug herself from the blankets and sat on Kame´s lap with the hands around his neck. He just sighed and decided he can stay a little longer. He took one of the blankets from the pile and covered the girl in his arms. Beara made herself comfortable with the self-confident expression despite the dark circles under her eyes from the long fight with infection.

Kame caught the glance from the old shaman, who was still sitting next to them at the wooden stump, and he lowered his head in the sign of respect. The shaman spoke to him in his mother tongue, as he always did.

“How is your mother doing?”

It wasn´t worth of lying to the man and trying to look optimistic. The shaman would have noticed the truth anyway.

“Unfortunately, it is still the same…” Kame replied. “And she has some troubles with sleeping.”

“I see. I prepared some herbs for her; you can take it with you. I will add something for a good sleep, too.”

“Thank you, she will be glad, she likes that tea from you.”

“And what about you?” the Indian raised another question. “What is the work like on that… place?”

Shaman wasn´t very fond of him working as a bartender; he had the worst ideas about the saloon.

“Busy,” Kame said shortly. “But Mr. Harada pays enough and on time, so I will handle it.”

“But these medicines and doctors you buy for your mother are not helping, right?”

Kame avoided the sharp and heavy glance. He just had to keep up his hopes… What else would his efforts would be then for?

“Not yet…”

 Shaman just nodded his head. He didn´t say anything else, he understood the situation Kame was in. Kame rather focused on the small fire nearby, with the resting child in his arms. He had already had enough troubling thoughts for one day...


	5. Sneaking and spying

**K** ame stepped out of the door and stopped at the threshold. It wasn´t very tempting to go out into the streets, as it started raining during the night and the clay road turned into a mess of ugly mud. But the rainy weather wasn´t anything unusual in Bozeman, so Kame just observed the street from one side to another with calm expression and then he tried to suppress a yawning unsuccessfully.

“That´s what you´ll get for coming home so late,” an amused voice was heard almost right in front of him.

The blonde girl in blue dress came to their house, holding a small basket covered with some cloth in her hand and put the dark umbrella away.

“Good morning to you too, Lena,” he reacted a little annoyed. “I don´t think you should care what time I come home.”

She stuck her tongue out at him.

“Your mother was worried.”

“She knew where I was,” Kame answered and checked the clouds above them.   
It didn´t look like the heaven would stop pouring the flood of drops any time soon.

“But I didn´t,” the girl complained.

“Don´t be so curious, it´s not fitted for a lady,” Kame brushed her off and finally stepped down from the veranda to the road.

“That´s not true!” Lena was naturally offended.

“I´m off...” Kame didn´t pay attention to her.

“But you didn´t have a breakfast yet!” she called after him.

“No time, thanks!” he waved at her, hid his head between the shoulders in front of the rain and rushed towards the Harada´s saloon.

Every Monday morning there was the time for cleaning up the stalls. That was why Kame had to set off earlier. Also, he had his high shoes on and some old clothes, which he was planning to change for the proper work suit later.

Kame arrived to the still closed saloon and continued further around the building. But right at the stalls entrance he stopped for a while, when he overheard some voices, which surprised him a lot.

It was possible that Mike got up early as well, after he scolded him the last time. But who was he talking to?

He entered the stalls filled with dung´s scent and horses snuffling and headed to the back part, where another big door was, which they always used for putting the dirty stuff out to one huge dunghill. He was almost there, when Mike appeared in the door laughing, but he wasn´t the one pushing the cart, now empty. It was the tall black haired young man.

Kame froze on the spot seeing Akanishi talking to the kid.

“Morning, Kame!” Mike greeted him much more enthusiastically than he usually was in the mornings.

That was when Akanishi spotted him too.

“Good morning,” he said on a careful voice.

“Good morning,” Kame´s response was stiff and cold. “Mike? What is going on here?”

“Jin said he will help me!” the kid screamed with the wide smile.

Kame felt like ambushed from behind; it was unexpected surprise to see Akanishi here and moreover so early.

“And since when do you make our guests to do your job?” even his face was frozen, he couldn´t make himself to relax.

The boy cowered under the strict voice of his older co-worker.

“I offered to him myself, he didn´t ask me for anything,” Akanishi emphasized firmly, eyeing Kame with the piercing eyes.

“That´s very kind of you,” Kame reacted awfully politely. “But Mr. Harada would be really angry, if he found out. This is our job, you are our guest. Isn´t that right, Mike?”

“Yes...” the boy agreed guiltily.

“Well, get back to the work then,” Kame recommended him coldly.

The boy overtook the cart from the young man and rushed to another stall with his head lowered.

“It was not necessary to be so strict at him,” Akanishi said grumpily. “This is not a problem for me. I got up early so...”

“As I said, Mister,” Kame interrupted him.  “This is our job,” he repeated concisely.

Then he took the pitchfork, which were propped at the wooden counter of the stall with Akanishi´s horse, who was watching both men calmly, and turned to leave, when a firm hand gripped his elbow.

“What in the world did I do to make you angry at me, Kame?” Jin asked looking directly into his eyes. “Is it about yesterday? I´ve already said I´m sorry.”

Kame repaid the honest and confused glance of the guy, surprised by his strong grip at first, before taking a step back to shake his hand away.

“It´s nothing,” he said stiffly. “I have to get to my work.”

But Akanishi didn´t let himself to be get rid of so easily.

“Don´t you think I have a right to know, what´s going on?”

Now he sounded pissed off. Kame turned to him once again.

“All right...” he knew that he should consider carefully that Akanishi was Harada´s guest and keep his mouth shut, but the older one asked for it himself. “It´s because that I hate, when somebody kills just for fun.”

The dark orbs widened in surprise.

“And now, if you excuse me...”

Kame left Akanishi, who said nothing for the response, behind his back.

 

Jin watched the young bartender joining the small kid in cleaning the shit away. Then he kicked the nearest pile of straw, turned around and left the stalls on quite fast pace.

_So, that is all about..._

Kame overheard his conversation with Grenet and his men and he made another opinion about him. And Jin couldn´t tell him the truth, he didn´t know if he can trust the guy.

 _Damn, to hell with it..._ _Why should I care what some bartender thinks about me?_

***

 

Mr. Harada kept his saloon open for the whole week, even though Sundays and Mondays were usually so calm that it was the same as if he would have let it closed. But Kame appreciated some rest despite being at work a lot, especially after his morning exercise with the pitchfork. He and Mike had to take care about many horses this time; there were almost no free rooms in the saloon.

 _Of course, it could have been easier with certain help, just if you hadn´t been so stubborn..._ Kame´s inner voice informed him mockingly.

He ignored it and rubbed the glasses furiously trying to stop thinking about Akanishi, but it wasn´t much help. Why did that guy bother at all?

“Kame.”

Why didn´t he sleep longer after that trip of his in the woods? Why did he have to be so... so… He just couldn´t find the right word to describe the young gunslinger.

“Kame?”

Kazuya blinked and finally noticed Harada standing behind the counter and obviously talking to him.

“Yes, sir?” he asked in an apologetic tone.

“Stop daydreaming and pour me some whiskey,” Harada requested. “Then you can go home. It really sucks tonight.”

The bar was really empty, except one old man in the corner, so grateful Kame just nodded.

*

The evening air was awfully damp and everything out of reach of the roofs completely wet. It was raining even more than in the morning. The annual raining season obviously came in full regalia. Kame knew that not many sunny days could have been expected from now on... That was the autumn in Montana.

He hid the hands into the deep pockets of his coat and wanted to set off home, when he spotted something strange.

In the sheriff´s office, which was located on the opposite side of the main street, the light was on. That was not so weird; he guessed that Grenet and his men probably had one of their secret meetings. But what caught Kame´s attention was a shadow, which was not supposed to be hiding in the dark narrow space next to the building.

It was only a moment and the figure was gone, somewhere in the darkness. Kame hesitated, standing in the middle of rain. It was not his business and there was no reason to care about it, but... But that sneaking shadow awoke his curiosity. That dark figure was somehow familiar to him...

He made the two steps towards his home, but then he stopped and turned back to the light in the distance. He checked the both sides of the main street, which was really empty in that ugly evening, and then headed to another direction than he originally intended to.

*

Jin was proceeding to the window on the side of the building further from the main street carefully, knowing very well that if he was find out, all his efforts would be in vain. He stayed in the town for the whole day this time, observing the citizens quietly, trying to find out as much as he could about the habits and customs of the people in Bozeman. He talked with a couple of them, just a few words and restrained himself from asking too many questions. He needed to find out more about Grenet and Sheriff and about the way how they handled this city.

He had already wanted to let it go for that day and get some rest, when he spotted the gathering of some gunmen in front of the sheriff´s office from the saloon´s balcony. It was a great opportunity to find out something more, so Jin changed his shirt for the black one, not to be spotted so easily, checked that his revolvers were loaded and set off for a little spying.

Despite the raining it wasn´t so cold and for his luck the company inside the office left the window slightly open, letting the fresh air go inside. Jin sneaked under it and very carefully he lifted his head up, just so that he could see inside through the glass. Four men were assembled around the battered table - Grenet, grey haired old man with the golden star at his coat flap, obviously the sheriff and other two, who were also the members of the drinking group from the previous night. The room was lightened up with one lamp and full of cigarette´s smoke.

“What about that little revolt at our kerosene field?” Grenet asked and gulped down some unidentified liquid from the bottle with no label.

“Two leaders ended up on the gallows,” the old man informed him in a faint voice.

Jin noticed the dark circles below the man´s faded eyes; the sheriff seemed to be exhausted.

“The others don´t dare to utter even a word now. Everything is calming down.”

“Good,” Grenet reacted. “What about our greenhorn?” he looked at the other two. “Anything?”

Jin stiffened at his unseen spot. Grenet was trying to search for some info about him?

“Nothing, boss,” one of the gunmen shook his head. “Seems nobody around knows him.”

Grenet grinned unsatisfied with that.

“Ok, then you will go to Livingston tomorrow. Try to ask there. I want to know, who that little fucker is.”

“Yes, boss.”

Jin held the curse back behind his lips. So Grenet was really suspicious about him in the end. There was not a big chance that anyone in that town would be able to tell anything interesting about him, only maybe someone would remember that he had passed through the city recently. But in case that Grenet´s subordinate would have continued with snooping around and went further to the east, to the next city... That would be another story.

But Jin had to risk it and let it go. It would be useless waste of time trying to stop that man and it would have attracted even more attention. First he needs to rush with the planning hunt and then...

The feeling of the eyes watching him got Jin on the spot. He had developed a really sharp sense for any unwanted presence during the past months, as he was on alert almost all the time. He turned his head to the side just at the moment, when a slim figure was disappearing behind the corner of the next building.

_Fuck... Somebody saw me._

Jin jumped off his spying place immediately, but didn´t run right after the stranger. He walked around the building from the other side quickly and like this he stepped right into the way of that particular someone, who spotted him under the window of Sheriff´s office.

Jin´s sudden appearance surprised the other one, as he froze on the spot. Jin grabbed his arms roughly and pinched him to the wall. A dim light of one kerosene lamp next to the office´s door fell on the other´s face. And only from this close Jin recognized, who was the one he caught. It was Kame.

They were staring at each other without a move for a few long seconds. Then Jin narrowed his eyes and even tightened his grip around the slim arms. He had expected anyone but not him. The surprised bartender attempted to release himself, but he didn´t let the younger one move even for an inch.

 

“Why are you following me?” Jin hissed angrily.

“I´m not,” Kame protested, quite stiffened under the threatening glance. It was completely different from the way Jin has been looking at him so far.

“Really?” the gunslinger reacted ironically and approached with his face even closer to Kame´s one. “Then it was not you watching me from that corner five meters from here?” he asked, while his hot breath touched Kame´s cheek.

Kazuya gulped down heavily. He had not seen Jin like that before. He didn´t know that the young newcomer could be so... Scary. But he suppressed this feeling and replied on a calm voice.

“I just spotted the suspicious figure sneaking around, so I went to check up on it. We had a few cases with the night ambushes here. I was not following _you_ directly.”

Jin was observing him for a while, saying nothing at all and Kame found some righteous outrage inside himself. He was not the one at fault here.

“Why do you spy on them anyway, Akanishi?” he asked coldly. “If you want to join them, you shouldn´t do things like that...”

Akanishi blinked and slackened his tight hold a little, probably realizing at what Kame caught him out.

“It´s not your business,” he murmured.

“I guess you just made it my business,” the bartender opposed.

“I have my reasons...”

“Oh, those must be very important.”

“Why do you even care?” Jin snorted, still not knowing what to think about the guy. “Are you Karnaka´s secret spy or what?”

In the next second, Kame was the one emitting quite scary aura. The expression at his face made Jin to let him go. The younger one looked as if he was able to chew his head off.

“I do NOT work for that bastard,” the bartender emphasized each word in a quiet, but ice-cold voice, piercing Jin with a burning glance.

Jin took a slight step back.

“Ok, ok, take it easy, I just didn´t know what to think.”

Kame was pressing his lips together firmly, but his eyes were telling much more than words. At that moment Jin thought that maybe, only maybe, they could have something in common...

“Look, Kame, I´m not so fond of running around in the woods looking for a deadly dangerous furry creature, neither of sneaking around in this fucking rain. But I have to do it.”

“Why?” the younger one asked sharply.

Jin sighed, already almost giving up any resistance.

“Because I need to get close to Karnaka.”

Kame´s eyebrows wrinkled, the anger almost disappeared from his face and it was replaced with a thoughtful expression.

“And what do you want to do then? Do you have something against him?”

“It will be better for you not to know,” Jin shook his head. “I don´t want to drag you into this.”

“That´s very nice of you,” Kame reacted cynically.

“What the hell should I say for you to believe me??!” Jin exclaimed. “I just don´t want to-“

He was interrupted in the middle of sentence by Kame´s palm, which covered his mouth and in the next moment he was dragged into the narrow space between the two buildings, from which he came out a while ago. In the last second Jin glanced at the sheriff´s office door, which was just opening.

There was really a little of space in the alley, so they ended up quite close to each other, Jin leaning over the wooden wall and Kame over his chest.

Jin understood right away, what was going on, when he heard the voices from the street. He didn´t notice that Grenet´s men finished their conversation and probably put the light off. But Kame did.

The younger one put the finger on his lips signalizing him to be quiet. Jin just nodded slightly, and Kame withdrawn his warm hand from Jin´s mouth.

“Don´t forget to report to me as soon as you get back!” both guys heard Grenet´s voice calling.

“Yes, boss!” that man, who was appointed to find out more info about Jin in Livingstone, answered.

They were waiting for almost the whole minute, while the steps were going away. Meanwhile, Jin was observing the faint features of Kame´s face, who was listening to the sounds from the street carefully. From that angle he almost looked like a girl. And he was standing really close to Jin. So even though it was quite cold, Jin could feel the warmness of Kame´s body through the lawyers of their clothes.

Suddenly, the younger one looked at him again, which made Jin flinched almost guiltily.

“Wait here,” the bartender said on a very quiet voice and left their hiding.

Jin shivered from cold, suddenly stolen of the slim figure next to him. Kame was back quite soon.

“It looks like we´re clear,” he said and waited till Jin joined him on the street. “I won´t tell anything, you don´t have to worry,” the younger one stated then.

“And why won´t you do it?” Jin asked a little confused, instead of just being glad and quiet.

Kame grinned a little.

“I have my reasons for it, too. But you should be more careful. Grenet is very suspicious and he won´t let you fool him easily.”

“I´ve noticed,” Jin nodded. “But thanks for a warning.”

“You´re welcome... And...” Kame put his hands inside the coat´s pockets, obviously nervous about something. Jin was waiting curiously for whatever he wanted to say. “I apologize for my previous behavior,” the young bartender murmured finally. “I was hasty with judging you.”

“It´s all right. I can understand that,” the older one assured him.

Kame looked at him, suddenly relaxed.

“I´m glad to hear that... Good night, then.”

“Good night...” Jin repaid the greeting with a small smile.

*

 

Kame was heading home in the slow pace despite the raining, lost in his thoughts. So, he was probably really too hasty in judging Jin Akanishi. He wasn´t sure about the guy´s motives yet, but it was quite certain he didn´t intend to give that grizzly´s head together with the bouquet of flowers to Raynold Karnaka just to receive the recognition from the old man. He had intentions for something much darker. He could see it in Akanishi´s eyes just a few minutes ago - that dark anger, which was usually hidden in the dark orbs.

It was somehow familiar to Kame. Something happened to Jin, something what had a lot to do with Mr. Karnaka. And just that fact made him kind of sympathize with the young newcomer…

After a few minutes, he got home, to the small brown building with the grey wind shutters. The light could be seen in the kitchen´s window. Kame took his muddy shoes and let them on veranda before stepping inside.

The house was warm and filled with the scent of the strawberry cake. He hung his coat up on the hook in the narrow hall and entered the kitchen, where Lena was just finishing cleaning up the dishes.

“Good evening,” she smiled at Kame widely. “You are home soon.”

“Evening, Lena. Mr. Harada let me go for today.”

“That´s great! Do you want some tea? I´ve prepared the green one. And I can offer you a piece of cake, too, it´s still warm and…”

Kame stopped the flood of words by putting his hand on the girl´s shoulder.

“Thank you, Lena, I´ll take some myself. You can go home.”

“But…”

“Because of me you stay late almost every day. I´m really glad I don´t have to force you to do it today too, so…”

“It´s not a problem for me to stay, you know that!” Lena protested.

“I know and I´m grateful. But today, I will feel better if you can get some rest.”

“Fine then… Will I get a kiss for good night?”

Kame rolled his eyes.

“Don´t be such a kid and go already,” he pushed her gently out of the door to the corridor.

“I´m not a kid anymore, Kame!” the girl yelled offended.

“Of course,” Kame agreed to avoid any arguments. “Here is your coat.”

“Thanks…” Lena murmured still unsatisfied.

“Tell your mother I´ll bring her the money for food right after the pay day.”

“You don´t have to,” the girl informed him. “My Mum says we still have something to pay you back for how you helped us when Dad was sick.”

“No way,” Kame reacted firmly. “You´ve already repaid it to me many times. I will bring the money, don´t forget to say that.”

“She won´t accept it,” the blonde one insisted.

“Leave that on me. And remember, you don´t have to come tomorrow right in the morning.”

“The doctor´s visit again?” she asked.

“Yes,” Kame confirmed with nod.

“I´ll come after lunch then.”

“Fine, thanks. Good night, Lena.”

Not very patiently Kame showed the pouting girl out of the door. Lena was kind and nice girl, but sometimes it was tiring to listen to her. And it was not him, who was spending the whole day with her, but his mother.


	6. Shooting competition

**T** he weather didn´t exactly improve on the next day. Better to say, it became worse. The thick clouds were hanging above the city, pouring the houses with a strong cold shower. Some parts of the main street even turned into something similar to swamp, which made walking for any citizen, who dared to come out, quite difficult, dirtying their legs up to knees.

Kame was sitting on the veranda´s railing, watching the raindrops hitting the deep puddle nearby. He was shivering from cold a little, as he didn´t wear anything else than the checked shirt, but he didn´t care. He was too lost in his thoughts, waiting there tense and nervous.

The regular visits of the local doctor Herbert Best, who was coming to check on his mother twice a month, sometimes even more often, always made the young bartender like that. Even though it looked like his mother´s condition was not changing any significantly, he couldn´t help being worried. Every single time he was afraid that the doctor might find out something new about Mrs. Kamenashi´s health, and that it wouldn´t have been for better.

The disease of Kazuya´s mother was unseen from outside, practically unknown and silent, but lethal as well. After some careful physical examinations, Dr. Best diagnosed Angina pectoris. Kame didn´t like the way how those strange words sounded from a good reason. It was a very serious heart disease, which was causing the unpredictable bouts of pain in his mother´s chest, making her unable to breathe or move properly, at least once a week. So far she always came over it somehow, but every time there was a possibility that the surge of pain would be too strong for her and it would cause her a heart attack. Doctor prescribed some pills, which were supposed to work against the high blood pressure, but they had to be ordered from Washington and were quite expensive.

Despite that Kame didn´t give up his hopes for any improvement of mother´s condition. Dr. Best said that he would do everything what he could for her. And Kame trusted his skills, as the wise man had already helped many citizens of the Bozeman City.

But Kame could see that his Mum was weaker and weaker every day. Sometimes, he wondered, if it hadn´t been better for them to stay under the protection of Blackfeet Tribe in the mountains. Even though the Indians were not able to help her with any healing method they knew. The shaman said once, that her heart was broken and it was impossible to heal it again. No matter how irrationally it sounded, Kame inclined to agree with it...

He remembered his mother to be a lively, cheerful and kind woman, always giving the most beautiful smile to those whom she loved. And he knew very well, what changed her completely, what broke her down and made her heart weak. It was the day, when he watched the storm from the west coming...

The door´s creaking made him to turn his head. A strictly looking man with thick short hair and wearing glasses joined him on the veranda. Kame was watching the doctor without a word, waiting for him to speak up.

“Her blood pressure is better than the last time, but she is very weak,” Dr. Best said on a very calm voice, while buttoning up his neat coat. “And I´ve got a suspicion that she doesn´t take her pills against pain, so please take care of it.”

“Yes, doctor,” Kame nodded.

“I´ve already ordered the next set of medicaments; you can collect them in my surgery room next week.”

“Thank you, I will. Anything else?”

Dr. Best looked into his eyes seriously.

“How much does your mother eat?”

“I was told by Lena that a little less than the previous month.”

“Try to talk with her about it then; she has to keep her strength… Well, I have other patients too, so… Have a nice day, Kamenashi.”

“You too, Dr. Best.”

The doctor left Kame standing on the veranda, with even more worries in his poor head.

***

 

The forest was full of the calming smell of wet needles and soil. The fresh dump air brought some more color to the trees, which were preparing for the winter already. Some bird was singing his energetic song, hidden very-well in his warm nest high above him.

The bird stopped singing, when Jin´s feet slipped on the wet root and tripped over another one. Tired from the long searching, he wasn´t able to prevent his fall and ended up sitting in the muddy place full of putrid leaves of berry bushes.

“Who the fuck came up with this stupid idea?!” an angered yell was heard in almost one mile radius.

The beautiful horse snorted his answer to that. Akanishi grinned at him.

“I know. Me.”

Jin got up on his feet again; finding out that his favorite coat changed its color to the ugly brown. So not only wet to the bones, but also dirty as he would have been digging up the abyss. With a tired sigh he looked around again.

It was hopeless. The woods on the west didn´t show any sign of a convenient place for bears. The biggest animal he could hunt there was some fox. Or a squirrel. And he really doubted he would have impressed Raynold Karnaka with a little animal with coral eyes, chewing on the hazelnut, no matter how cute it would have been. The most promising part for a bear hunt was the one he was forced to leave – Blackfeet Tribe´s territory.

Jin looked at Kuro.

“What should we do?”

The animal just stared at him.

“No advise? That´s not nice of you,” the young gunslinger murmured.

But despite his words, Jin approached the animal and soothed him across the blowholes gently.

“Let´s go back… It´s damn cold out here…”

***

 

Kame looked up from washing up the glasses, when he heard a loud sneeze, which almost made the ones he had already cleaned up to fell off the counter. Jin Akanishi, in the clothes so wet that the water was dripping on the floor under his feet, just approached the bar and looked at him with tired eyes.

“Hi…” he mumbled.

Kame observed the guy from head to toes. The black haired one looked like escaping from the swamps.

“Good evening…”

“Can I get some rum, please?” Jin asked on a weak and hoarse voice.

It was enough for Kame to know, that the man didn´t need any alcohol at all.

“Don’t you rather want some hot tea?” he offered him reasonably.

“What? Why?” the guy looked confused.

Kame looked at him even more carefully, noticing the paler skin than was usual for Jin and also the red veins in his eyes.

“Don´t you have a fever? Just alcohol won´t help you, if you do.”

“I don´t think so…” Akanishi wobbled a little and he had to catch the edge of the counter to stay upright.

The young bartender raised his eyebrows on that.

“I´m a little tired, though…” the other one admitted quietly.

Kame checked with one short look the present guests, who were consisted only of a few cowboys. Without more thinking he talked to Jin again.

“Then go up to your room and change your clothes. You cannot stay in those. I´ll bring it upstairs.”

Akanishi blinked quite surprised first, but Kame´s voice somehow didn´t leave any space for excuses.

“Fine,” he reacted shortly and on quite the uncertain legs he headed to the stairs obediently, while Kame was trying to deal with his own behavior, not fully understanding himself.

It was not Kame´s habit to care about others, except the ones who were important to him, like his mother or Liwan and also Lena. Akanishi was still a stranger to him. And moreover, he never behaved impolitely to Harada´s guests; it was his principle and also the good way how to keep his job. But right now, he practically ordered Jin to leave instead of fulfilling his request. Realizing this, he was totally dumbfounded that the guy didn´t protest even with one word and just went upstairs.

Kame sighed. What was so special about that strange handsome guy that it made him forget his manners?

*

It didn´t take him long to prepare what he wanted and he walked up the narrow stairs in less than ten minutes. There was a silence filling the air on both floors, as most of the guests left that morning. Kame approached the last door in the corridor and with a calm face, but some nervousness in his stomach knocked on it slightly.

“It´s open, come in,” the faint invitation was heard from the inside.

Kame entered the room balancing the tray with a huge mug and a plate with hot soup carefully. His efforts were almost in vain, as he stopped right before the pile of wet clothes lying on the floor, before stumbling over it. He avoided it and searched for Akanishi with his eyes.

The guy was sitting on the bed, the legs bent and hidden under the sheet as well as the rest of his body. Only his head was the visible part of him, with the damp and scruffy hair. And he was shaking from cold heavily.

Kame starred at this view for a while and the first thing, which came to his mind, was that Akanishi looked like an abandoned and quite cute puppy.

“Ah, you came…” Jin murmured gratefully.

“Of course, when I said so,” Kame reacted placing the plate at the small night table next to the bed. Jin checked the things on it with his blurry eyes.

“But I asked for rum…” he complained.

“It´s in, as well,” Kame informed him. “Just try it.”

Jin took the mug into his hands and looked at the hot steam coming from it suspiciously.

“It´s not poisoned,” Kame teased him pretending to be offended.

“How should I know?” Jin reacted innocently and took a little sip from the liquid. His eyes went wide in the next moment. “It´s good!”

When he moved, the blanket slipped down a little, so Kame could see that Jin was naked and his muscular hand and part of his chest could be seen. He was a very well built man. And now also very satisfied. Jin pressed his palms against the mug and started to taste it with the long careful swallows. Kame turned away from him amused, picked the clothes up from the floor and hung it over the chair. The floor remained dark wet under it.

“What were you doing in those? Swimming in the lake?” he asked baffled by the amount of water.

“Very funny,” Jin retorted grumpily. “Fucking rain…”

“It´s not that bad,” Kame said confident thanks to the experiences of the local. “It´s usually much worse.”

“Oh, really? Thanks for the good news,” the other one reacted sardonically.

Kame tore his eyes off the window covered with the small drops and looked at the sulking man, who was keeping the hot mug as close as he could.

“No luck so far?” Kame asked.

“Oh, the opposite! I came over ten squirrels. Can you imagine?”

Kame had to suppress a laugh over the Jin´s expression; who would say that the young gunslinger would have such a sense of humor?

“Where were you searching?”

“The west locality.”

“That´s useless, you won´t find any bear there.”

“Yeah, I know that now too, thanks,” Akanishi snorted.

Kame turned away from him.

“Wait! I didn´t mean to…”

Jin thought that he offended the nice bartender, so he intended to apologize, but then he stopped in the middle of sentence, when Kame just closed the door from the inside. Then he crossed his hands on the slim chest and looked at confused Jin directly.

“Maybe I could help you a little,” the younger one stated.

The hint of joy flashed over Jin´s face.

“How?”

“I think you can ask Blackfeet Tribe for a permission to hunt on their territory...”

Jin´s shoulders went down after hearing it, as well as his head.

“They didn´t seem to be very willing to negotiate with me...”

But Kame had more on his mind.

“They will listen to you, if you have a good reason for your acts. Only… You must tell them the truth.”

“I´m not sure what would have been considered as good reasons according to your Indian friends, Kame,” Jin reacted pessimistically.

Kame went a little closer to the bed and crouched down, so that he had his eyes in almost the same line with Jin´s.

“Well, let´s say, that Raynold Karnaka didn´t do anything good for them so far... So if you reveal your intentions, I think they will listen to you at least. Maybe they will even help you to hunt some bear down.”

Jin was looking at him for a while, pondering about the bartender´s suggestion.

“Hmm, since we are already talking about it... What do you think, actually? What are my intentions according to you?”

“You haven´t told me about them yet,” Kame answered shortly.

Jin repaid the other´s glance wondering, if he can afford to tell the truth. This bartender was really very nice to him so far, but that didn´t beat up all those reasons for Jin to stay quiet. But then he realized that he still holds that mug of tasty tea in his hands and he also noticed the tempting smell of the soup at the night stand and that his clothes are spread over the chair to dry out. And somehow, Jin suddenly knew that he can be honest.

“I want a revenge for my friend.”

“So, you want to kill Karnaka...” Kame completed the unspoken part right away and it wasn´t even a question.

Jin didn´t comment that, but he didn´t have to. Kame just knew what was hidden behind those words. The young gunslinger, now feeling much warmer than a few minutes ago, finished the last sip of that awesome tea.

“So... You really think they will listen to me?” he asked, still unsure.

“I guess I can spare a good word or two for you... But don´t take it as granted. They won´t do what I say. But if you make your request properly, they will hear you out. I can arrange the meeting, if you want.”

“I would be really grateful for that,” Jin nodded slowly.

Kame shook his head slightly.

“You can take that as an additional apology. Along with that soup, which you should eat before it gets completely cold,” saying that, the bartender stood up again.

“Thank you,” Jin said honestly grateful, looking up at the other one from behind the ends of his hair.

This time, Kame couldn´t suppress his smile, seeing Akanishi so unusually vulnerable. It stirred something in him, something really strange, what he was not able to describe, so he rather averted his attention from the guy.

“Do you really play it?” he asked eyeing the strangely shaped box in the corner.

Jin turned his head to make sure, what Kame had pointed out.

“Of course. My friend taught me...” he responded quietly and suddenly seriously.

“The one you want to avenge for?” Kame figured out what the shadow in his voice meant.

Jin didn´t say anything, he just repaid his questioning look, but it was enough for Kame to know that he was right.

***

 

When Jin woke up the next morning, he was actually surprised that he felt quite well. After that rainy trip in the woods, it was highly probable that he had caught a cold at least. But it seemed that Kame´s special tea managed to prevent that. And as well as Jin´s mood, the sky cleared up too. It stopped raining before dawn and around the lunch time the city was already lightened up with the faint sunbeams.

Jin slept the whole night, deep in unconscious sleep without any dreams and he felt much better than in the previous evening. He didn´t know, if it was really because of that special drink, which Kame prepared for him or not, but he was definitely grateful to the guy.

Thanks to the bartender´s offer, that he would talk with the Indians and let him know the result, Jin could afford to have a day off. He stayed in Bozeman, ate some of the incredibly tasty meals of Miss McBain and took Kuro for just a short ride around, also checking up the road, which led to Karnaka´s lands on the way.

When Jin got back, he bumped into that kid from the stalls – Mike - and helped him to groom the horses of two explorers from the east, who have been staying in one of Harada´s rooms for some time already and didn´t seem to continue their explore any time soon. And he took care of his dear Kuro, too.

Returning to the saloon, he got stopped by its owner Mr. Harada unexpectedly and stayed with him on the veranda talking about the horses, as Kuro obviously caught the man´s attention.

It was almost three o´clock in the afternoon, when Jin noticed some fuss on the opposite side of the street. Two boys were bringing the big boxes to the dark colored wall, which was part of the alarm tower with the metal bell on its top. Grenet´s companions and also the sheriff´s deputy himself followed them and they were making quite a noise on the way. Also a few citizens were approaching the place slowly, with half excited, half worried expressions.

“And here they go again…” Harada commented the scene.

“What´s going on?” Jin asked confused.

“Grenet´s favorite game.”

“What game?”

“I call it ´Wasting of bullets´,” Harada answered sharply.

Jin wanted to ask what exactly the man meant by that, but a loud shout was heard instead.

“Hey! Greenhorn!”

Jin suppressed an annoyed face, which he would love to show and looked in the direction of that calling. It was Math Grenet, of course.

“Don´t you wanna join us? To show what are you capable of?”

Jin got up from the comfortable armchair slowly, stepped down on the road and came closer to the group.

“What is this about?” he asked casually.

“Just a little shooting competition,” Grenet smirked. “You can show us, if you know for what those things hanging from your belt are.”

The group around that asshole burst out laughing. This time, it was Jin whose lips curved into smirking.

“All right, why not? Just explain me the rules.”

*

Kame, who just happened to arrive at that moment, observed the group of gunmen with hardly covered worried expression. He noticed Akanishi among them right away and he was wondering, if the guy had enough of self-control not to let himself being provoked by Grenet for doing something stupid.

He couldn´t get rid of similar thoughts since the previous evening, when he saw how serious Jin was about his goal and how much he was influenced by his desire for revenge. It was everything in his eyes, when the young man spoke with him. And Grenet was able to be quite sneaky, when it came to make somebody angry.

“Just in time,” smoking Harada welcomed him from the veranda. “You can go prepare some water and beers then, or they will come whining about how incapable my saloon is as the last time. They look overly excited today.”

Kame only unwillingly tore his look off the starting competition and went to fulfill the order.

*

While two boys in their teens were pushing the growing audience behind some safe zone and preparing the boxes with their targets, Grenet explained the rules to Jin, who was showing a polite interest in the happenings and looked like nothing can throw him out of his calmness.

“The first round, three shots. When you miss even one of them, you´re out. Second round, four shots. The same process. You miss, you lose. Got it?”

“Yeah,” Jin nodded. “What will come from this for a winner?”

“The ones, who lose in the first round, have to buy him drinks for a week. And the ones, who lose the second round, will cover the expenses for the bullets he had to fire,” Grenet grinned in a way, which made Jin think that he was the one who thought these rules up. “So better be careful, greenhorn.”

Jin didn´t say anything to that and started to check his revolvers instead, as the guns went through a tough treatment the previous day.

*

Kame couldn´t help it; he prepared everything as fast as he could, and returned to Mr. Harada, who was watching the competition, which just started. He stayed in the shadow of veranda´s roof, checking out the crowd, which was a little bigger than usually. Well, as expected, the newcomer´s participation attracted some interest.

One boy was standing near the boxes, handing over the small round shaped targets, made of some easy breakable material, to his buddy. They were white colored, so easily spotted on the background of the dark wall. The other boy was throwing them up in the air in the slow motion. The plates used in the first round were quite light, so the movement wasn´t fast.

Despite that, only one guy from the first half of participants was able to hit all three of them and he received the audience´s appreciation, which was consisted mostly of children, women going from shopping and men returning from work. Everybody was already used to this regular performance and most of them enjoyed it, especially the kids. For Kame, it was just a swagger - useless and stupid game.

He was watching Jin from the profile, standing next to Grenet, who was still grinning like hell, quite certain about his victory. He was the one, who won almost every time. But Kame had a suspicion that it was not because he was the best, but because nobody dared to humiliate him by defeat. It happened only once and it didn´t come out well for the poor shooter. He didn´t know how good Jin was in the shooting, but it would be better for him not to be too skillful in this case.

From next four men, two passed the first round. They were both from the top class of Karnaka´s people, so it was not a surprise. Then it was Grenet´s turn; they left Jin for the ending as he was a newbie.

Sheriff´s deputy came to the spot from which everyone was aiming, stretched his hands and gestured the boy haughtily. Unlike the others, he left his guns in their sheaths on the belt and the crowd breathed out excitedly. Kame just leant on the door frame bored; he so knew that Grenet would play on the tough guy.

The first target went up. The movement by which Grenet pulled out his gun and fired was fast. The poor white thing was destroyed on its way up; the others usually hit it on the top of its trajectory. The second shot hit the right spot as well as the third one.

Three clear hits. The expected applause followed and the shooter left the place with head so high, that Kame wouldn´t have been surprised, if it would disconnect from his neck. But he had to admit that Grenet was capable of something…

“Your turn, Akanishi,” Grenet poked Jin into his chest, which made Kame to stare at him even more disgusted. That man always treated people like shit.

Jin said nothing, just nodded, made a few steps and like the man before him, he stopped on the spot from where he could shoot. And he gave the signal to the boy, without pulling the revolvers out beforehand.

Surprised murmur churned up the air among the viewers. Grenet still kept his cocky smile, in belief that Akanishi just wanted to copy him. And Kame started to watch the shooting really carefully only now.

The boy shouted shortly, as always before starting the throwing and the target flew high up into the air.

Three shots, three hits.

Kame´s eyes went wide. Jin was fast, really fast. His movement was even faster than Grenet´s and he hit the targets almost leisurely, as they would have been flying too slowly for him. A surprised silence made the atmosphere tense for a while, before the clapping of appreciation broke it.

Jin turned to face Grenet with a faint smile. The man´s grin wavered, but remained on his face.

“Good, greenhorn, good...” he hissed sharply. “Now, the real fun starts…”


	7. Value of life

**J** in didn´t like the words Math Grenet used at all. ´Real fun´ sounded like a bad omen from the deputy´s mouth. And just a few minutes later, Jin found out that his intuition was correct.

Only Grenet, three other men and Jin himself were left for the second round. The number of targets was increased to four and also the pace in which the boy was throwing them up in the air was faster. The first participant, a grey haired skinny man, missed the second plate and didn´t even try to hit the next one. The shorter one from the two Grenet´s gunmen missed the third and the last shooter almost made it, but he just scratched the last plate and it was not counted as a hit. Despite that the man received some applause from the citizens and also a haughty nod of appreciation from Grenet.

The sheriff´s deputy was quite sure about his own skills from a good reason. He hit all four targets clearly in the middle and with that arrogant smile of his left the shooting spot. But it was nothing difficult for Jin either and he got the full number of points, too. So, only he and Grenet were left for the third round. And exactly as Jin felt something bad coming, the competition rules were changed…

“So... Are we going up to the five plates?” the young gunslinger asked, while he was recharging his revolver carefully.

“No,” the deputy denied his assumption. “We will make it more interesting.”

“More interesting?” Jin repeated slowly, and put the gun back into its sheath for that moment. “What do you mean by that?”

Instead of giving an answer, Grenet turned away from him towards the crowd.

“Hey, boy!” the deputy shouted out all of the sudden and all looks focused at the small boy who was sitting at some old box, watching the competition. “Come here!”

The boy got up to his feet hastily and ran up to them. It was Mike from the Harada´s stalls. Jin was waiting tensely for the revelation of the deputy´s intentions with his eyes narrowed, while Kame, still standing on the veranda, was more than worried, when he saw whom Grenet picked up from the crowd.

“How can I help you, sir?” Mike asked innocently.

“Go to those two,” Grenet pointed at the two boys with the plates. “Take one of the targets and go in front of that wall. When I tell you, raise it in the air next to your head.”

Jin stiffened realizing what that crazy deputy had on his mind. And the poor boy didn´t seem to be very sure about the request either.

“So… I should hold it in my hand, sir?”

“As I said,” Grenet hissed. “Move.”

Not very enthusiastically Mike obeyed and went where he was told to.

*

Kame couldn´t hear what Grenet said, so he understood fully what was going on, only when Mike took one plate into his hand and approached the dark wall.

“What the…” he breathed out in fright. “It can´t be…”

“Another troubling day,” Mr. Harada murmured from his armchair.

*

“Are you serious about this?” Jin asked slowly.

Grinning Grenet turned to him.

“Of course, don´t you trust your skills?” the deputy raised his eyebrows mockingly.

“It´s not like that. But this is dangerous,” he objected the idea.

“You can always back off, if you are too chicken-hearted to do this…” Grenet said with an awful smirk and left to the shooting spot.

Jin was watching the man clenching his palms into the fists so firmly, that he felt his nails creating the deep cuts in his skin. This was not just a game anymore. It was a serious threat to the boy´s life. Grenet was a good shooter, but he was too careless and even the slightest mistake would have been enough for a really terrible result from the competition.

Jin looked at Mike, who moved with his arm, following the Grenet´s order. The kid´s face was pale and he was shaking a little, totally scared off. But he didn´t dare to oppose the deputy, he knew very well that he would have brought the gunman´s anger on himself in that case. The boy was really friendly and nice to Jin and he didn´t want the small boy to be endangered like that. On the other hand, if he gave up this game, he would be considered a coward and that would not help him in his goal to join Karnaka´s men.

But… What was more important now?

Grenet finished charging of his revolver and Jin took a deep breath. When the deputy raised his hand to aim at the boy and the crowd fell in deep silence, the two voices were heard in perfect union.

“Stop!!”

It was Kame, who rushed towards them and shouted out at the very same moment as Jin did.

Grenet lowered his gun a little, turning his head. Kame stopped right in front of him, just a few steps from Jin, who was watching his back now.

“Stop this crazy game, Grenet, right away,” the bartender requested sharply.

“Stay out of this, baby boy, if you don´t want to piss me off,” Grenet reacted threateningly.

But Kame wasn´t afraid of the man like the others were.

“You put this boy´s life in danger for nothing!”

“Nothing´s gonna happen to him,” the deputy retorted. “These are the rules.”

“These rules suck! Not to mention you just made them up!”

“I don´t see anyone else here objecting…” Grenet stated, narrowing his eyes into a calculating expression.

That was true. The crowd around was deadly quiet. Most of the citizens avoided to look at Kame or Mike. Some were obviously angered and worried too, but nobody dared to say anything. Everyone was afraid of the consequences, which the resistance against Karnaka´s right hand could have.

Sometimes, Kame was really sick from this cowardly attitude, but on the other hand he understood. Nobody wanted to have any issues with Raynold Karnaka. He shouldn´t get involved in it either. But Mike was living only with his grandparents, who were usually staying in their house and they were not on the place. There was no one to stand up for the boy, just himself...

“Look, Grenet, we can solve this in tons of other ways. We don´t have to shoot at kids.”

Kame glanced at the young man behind him. So he was not completely alone in the end. Jin was against this bullshit too. He was not sure, if he really heard the other one´s voice before, but now it was clear that Jin was trying to stop Grenet as well.

The murmur of agreement was heard in the crowd, but nobody else objected that crazy idea openly. Grenet was staring at them for a while, before an awful smile made his face really hideous.

“What´s said, that´s done. I won´t go back on my word.”

With that the deputy turned away from them, aimed his gun again and fired before anyone could have even moved. The loud shot made Kame to twitch. A yell of pain was heard right after that and everybody stared frightened at the boy, who was still holding the target, which was intact. But there was blood.

The boy dropped the plate and by the time he went down to his knees, Kame was already on way towards him, while shaken up Jin looked at Grenet, who lowered his gun finally.

“A doctor! Call Doctor Best!” Kame yelled, already kneeling next to the crying boy. Grenet´s bullet probably hit him in the shoulder.

The deputy was looking at the scene without any regret in his face, the revolver still in his hand. Jin approached the man carefully, suddenly being more than aware of that the deputy was capable of anything, while the doctor forced his way through the people, who gathered around the wounded boy.

“Why the hell did you do that?!” Jin asked Grenet, suppressing the dark anger inside him from coming out. “You could have killed him!”

“But I didn´t,” Grenet answered shortly.

A sudden urge to hit that bastard right in the middle of his arrogant face flooded Jin from head to toes. He was almost at the edge of his self-control, when Sheriff approached them.

“You overdid it this time, Math,” the old man said on a firm but careful voice. “You will be held responsible for hurting that kid.”

“Oh, really?” Grenet raised his eyebrows. “But it was only an accident, you know. If our cute bartender didn´t interrupt me, everything would be fine…”

Jin felt like bursting out any second. Now that bastard even blamed Kame? There was something seriously wrong with that man.

If Grenet had looked into Jin´s eyes at that moment, he wouldn´t have eaten his role of a young naive greenhorn, who wanted to earn some money working for Karnaka. But he didn´t look there; he was focused at the sheriff, who hesitated a little after his statement.

“Make some space, for God´s sake!” the doctor´s angered voice reached them. “Take him to my clinic, I´ll treat him there.”

Three men turned into the direction, from where the doctor was coming, with the medical bag in his hand. Behind him, Jin saw Kame standing at the wall, watching two other men taking Mike away carefully.

“The boy will be all right, it´s just a scratch,” Doctor Best informed them.

“See? It´s nothing,” Grenet reacted scornfully.

The doctor pierced him with his eyes.

“You should show some regret at least, Grenet,” he said coldly. “Now, excuse me, sirs.”

Jin was really relieved that it was nothing serious, but it didn´t calm his anger down. And he was not the only one pissed off as hell. But the sheriff kept suspiciously quiet.

Grenet hid his revolver and only then he looked at Jin.

“We will finish this next time, greenhorn…”

After that the deputy turned away and gestured his men. Sheriff said nothing else and went away too. It was almost scary how little value someone´s life had for them...

And then Jin spotted Kame marching towards the Grenet´s group with a really dangerous lightning in his eyes. His hands were colored in red, as he was trying to stop the bleeding from Mike´s arm. Grenet and the others were already going in the direction of the saloon, when Kame passed Jin like a tornado, not giving him any attention at all, with a clear intention to continue his furious race after Grenet. Jin managed to catch the guy for an arm and stop him at the last moment, before he was out of his reach.

Making sure that nobody gave them even one look, as the citizens were already going after their issues, he leant close to the young bartender.

“He will get what he deserves,” Jin said to Kame´s ear so quietly, that no one else could hear it. “I promise.”

*

The grip under his shoulder stopped Kame from moving and he wanted to snap at the one who dared to do it, when he felt a warm breath at his ear and then he heard Jin´s reassuring voice. And thanks to that he realized, that it wouldn´t do anything better, if he would have jumped on Grenet and beat the soul out of him. It would be only worse, for everyone.

Kame exhaled a deep breath, calming himself a little. It was not like him to get so angry, but Math Grenet happened to be a huge cause of worries recently. Firstly, he threatened Liwan with his shotgun, and now he even hurt Mike – a small innocent boy, whose life could have been so easily lost...

Kame looked at Jin, who was observing him closely and just nodded to signalize he was fine and wouldn´t do anything reckless. Only then Jin let him go and followed Grenet and his men hastily, before anyone could have noticed what he did. He made it just in time…

“Greenhorn! Where are you?! We have to drink to your shooting skills!”

It was Grenet shouting over the whole street of course. Jin fastened his pace towards the group, which already reached the saloon.

“Hey, pretty face!” Grenet yelled from the veranda. “Move your ass and get some beers ready, we´re thirsty!”

Jin had a hard time not to make a face. He was really disgusted already and started to despise that man. Not to mention he hated the way he talked to Kame. As if he was the servant of his or what. When Grenet disappeared in the saloon, he turned back shortly and caught the glance of Kame, who was still standing nearby the shooting spot and whose expression was basically identical with his. It could have been said, there was something what they had in common.

*

Grenet really had his day… After the incident during shooting, he and his companions made such an uproar in the saloon that only Madame Sukina´s harlots stayed there with them. All other customers gradually left the pub, leaving only the loud group behind.

Mr. Harada was watching it from his place with a not a very satisfied expression, but he didn´t do anything to make the ruckus calm down. Kame was serving the group, fighting himself in order not to show them something very vulgar and go home.

There was something what gave him strength to endure the never ending flow of stupid remarks of Grenet and tons of orders from his gunmen. It was Jin, who was sitting at the table and laughing with them, but Kame noticed that he was forcing himself to it. And from time to time the young newcomer gave him the encouraging look. Somehow, it made Kame feel much better, when he knew that he was not alone in this.

Kame was preparing another round of beers a little in advance, when Jin got up and went to the bar.

“Can you please prepare five shots of whiskey, Kame?”

He looked at him surprised. The young man seemed to be quite annoyed now, when he was turned to the certain table by his back.

“Is that your order?”

“No. Grenet´s. He sent me for it,” Jin responded. “He doesn´t know, when he already had enough.”

Grenet was the loudest one of the group, so Kame could only agree with that. Jin looked fine, just his face was a little darker and the eyes shiny. He nodded and bent down under for a requested bottle. When Kame stood up again, he did it so that nobody could see he was talking.

“Thank you, Jin,” he said quietly, preparing the glasses.

Akanishi´s eyes focused on him surprised.

“What for?”

“For stopping me back there… Usually, I don´t let myself to get upset so easily. But this time…”

“You´re welcome,” Jin reacted with a warm smile. “I understand you completely. I wanted to rip his head off myself… But… I´m really glad I didn´t do that and stopped you instead, when it made you to call me Jin again.”

Kame stopped pouring the liquid. He didn´t even realize that he did call the guy like that. Jin was leaning over the counter, watching him closely with the sparkles in his eyes, still smiling. And Kame couldn´t help but repay that smile.

“Hey! Greenhorn! Where are you with that fucking drink?!”

The connection between them broke and Jin waved his hand leisurely.

“I´m on my way!”

He took the shots which Kame prepared and turned away from him going back to the drinking group, with that fake grin on his face again.

***

 

The forest around the small glade was peaceful and quiet, the faint sun beams creating the deep green shadows under the trees. The piercing shriek of a dark brown buzzard flying high up in the air above them and looking for some prey was carried far away.

But as for Jin, the surroundings seemed more like menacing; anything could have been hiding behind the boles of many trees… The sharp sound of something being broken made him twitch and his hand slipped down to the gun stock. But there was nothing approaching them from any direction so far.

Kame sitting on the old stump looked up from something, what he was carving from the piece of oak wood and checked on Jin.

“Why are you so nervous?” he asked the older one.

“What? I´m not!” Akanishi denied it immediately, still checking the group of bushes on the west side of the glade.

“No? Then why do you look like being able to shoot down any living creature, which might show up here?” Kame pointed out at his hand, which was still prepared on the gun.

Jin forced himself to relax a little, let the calming cold feeling under his fingers go and came closer to him.

“Ok, I´m not completely calm…” he admitted unwillingly.

“You have no reason,” Kame said with an awesome certainty.

“I don´t know,” Jin crouched down, so Kame didn´t have to bend his head up anymore. “What should I say to them?”

The younger one leant the elbows on his knees and looked him in the eyes.

“That´s simple - the truth. They hate lying, so just be honest and it will be fine,” he assured Jin.

“That´s easy to say for you. You are their friend. I doubt they will be willing to behave friendly to me… To some White Face bothering them with his…”

“Jin,” Kame interrupted his worried murmur. “Be polite and nice and they will repay you with the same. Believe me; they have much better manners than white men.”

“All right…” Jin gave up any more complaints.

“Moreover, you have me on your side,” Kame smiled a little.

Only after that Jin´s face brightened up.

“That´s good to hear,” he reacted already more relaxed.

A fine neighing was heard from the left side, where they left their horses. Kame recognized his mare and got up.

“They´re coming…” he said with his eyes focused on the almost invisible path, which led to the glade from the east. Jin straightened up next to him too.

“How can you know? I don´t see anyone…”

“Ukushi let me know,” Kame explained.

“Ukushi?” Jin asked confused. “What´s that? Some special power?”

Kame suppressed the laughing, which filled up his chest.

“No. That´s my mare, Jin. I´ve got her from the tribe and she feels her brothers.”

“Oh, I see… Hey, don´t laugh! How should I know that?” Jin pouted seeing Kame turning away from him trying to hide his smile. But in real, he was really glad to see the usually gloomy bartender to be amused like that.

Kame patted Jin´s shoulder apologetically.

“Sorry, I didn´t mean to scoff to you. But… _special powers_?” the younger one was laughing again.

“Well, I made your day with that obviously,” Jin grinned, but was not insulted at all.

At that moment a faint rustle reached their ears and they both turned to the path on which the three riders appeared - the Indians on their beautiful horses without saddles. One of them had an impressive headband with a lot of feathers from birds of prey on his head.

Kame got serious at once.

“Is he, who I think he is?” Jin asked quietly.

“Yes. The Tribal Chief himself…” Kame confirmed.

They both kept standing there next to each other, waiting for the three Indians to reach them…


	8. Into the woods

**K** ame understood the Jin´s reasons for being full of doubts very well. Even though he showed off calmness and persuaded the older one that everything would be just fine, Kazuya wasn´t quite sure about the result of their upcoming negotiation. He knew the Blackfeet Tribe´s Indians well enough to know that they really didn´t like any intruders on their territory, no matter the reason anyone had for trespassing it.

But he also knew that the Tribal Chief was a very wise man, who was well aware of the happenings all around the United States. It was highly probable that the Indian tribes would not own any lands at all in the quite near future. The red nation was doomed at that very moment, when the first immigrants and soldiers from old Europe set their feet on the shore of their spacious homeland, and haughtily entitled it as the New World.

Many Indians hadn´t given up yet, but the end of those days when they could trot across the wide plains freely was very close. They were forced to retreat back and leave more and more space to the greedy white men every day. Not to mention there were also the persons, who made the rest of their calm times even more miserable. And Raynold Karnaka was one of them.

So, Kame really believed that if Jin told the truth about his intentions, the Indians would be willing to help him. Even if only for some indirect revenge to Karnaka, because they simply couldn´t afford to carry it out themselves. In those days, even one small incident could have brought the disaster upon any peaceful village, in a form of battalion of soldiers razing it with the ground...

Kazuya raised his hand and made an oval gesture in the air, greeting the Indians who stopped their horses three meters away from them. The Tribal Chief – who had obtained his name Flying Feather after the famous fight with a very strong Indian from the Sioux Tribe, whose pueblo was located far in the south – nodded his head slightly. The Chief´s son – Manipi – and Liwan, who were accompanying him, repaid the Kame´s greeting in the same way. But none of them got down from the backs of their horses. Instead, Manipi moved with his hand again, pointed at Jin and spoke in Indian language.

“If he wants to just talk with us, why does he have his guns?”

Kame didn´t respond right away; he had checked their incomers´ backs first, where the long bows could be seen, and he chose the words for his response very carefully.

“You came armed too, Manipi. If you want him to put them away, you should do the same.”

“That is nonsense!” the Chief´s son hissed upset. “We have no reason to trust any White Face!”

“It´s the same for him,” Kame objected firmly.

“What´s going on?” Jin asked quietly, noticing anger in the Indian´s voice.

“They want you to put your weapons aside,” Kame informed him in English.

Akanishi focused his eyes on the small group.

“Will they do the same?” he asked then.

“That´s what I want them to do, too,” the younger one murmured.

“If he wants something,” Manipi spoke again, “…he should be begging us and not...”

At that moment, the unfriendly Indian was signalized by his father himself to be quiet.

“We will leave our bows here with our horses and have our conversation unarmed,” Flying Feather said on a calm voice. “Please, ask him to do the same.”

Kame nodded right away, satisfied with the deal and even though Jin didn´t look very happy about it, he got rid of his revolvers and let them lying behind without any complaints.

*

The five men were sitting in the grass, creating a small circle. The Indians were watching Jin with the unreadable expressions in their faces, while Kame was informing them about the circumstances which led Akanishi to ask for permission to enter their territory. He told them about the plan to present the bear´s head as a gift to Karnaka, but didn´t continue in any further details. Flying Feather rather asked the questions himself and watched the other one responding.

As Kame expected, the Tribal Chief started to ask about more specifics as soon as Kame was finished. He rose every question up in Indian language and Kame translated it as well as the Akanishi´s responses, trying to keep the proper meaning of each word. Liwan and also Manipi understood English, so it was not necessary for them, but the Chief had been always refusing any proposals for learning it.

“Why do you want to use the bear trophy as a gift?”

Jin was prepared for the questions, so he responded right away.

“I need to get close to Karnaka, to make him trust me.”

“And why do you seek that?”

“So that I will have a chance to kill him,” Jin answered on quite a cold tone.

“Why?” the Chief asked strictly.

“In order to avenge for my friend.”

“What did Karnaka do to your friend?”

A dark shadow appeared in the Jin´s eyes, as he replied: “Karnaka intended to buy the house and land, which my friend inherited after his father. He didn´t know why Karnaka wanted it, but he was not willing to sell it anyway. Only later we found out that a rich source of kerosene oil was found in the north part of the property and Karnaka couldn´t let it slip between his fingers. So one of his men, working for the local sheriff, created a false incrimination and let my best friend hang from the gallows. After that, they forced his mother to sign the documents for the property transfer, moved her away and got the lands.”

That was very like Karnaka´s methods, Kame knew it very well and could clearly imagine, how messed up the whole situation was.

“Do you realize that this revenge will not return your friend back?” the next Chief´s question was somewhat unexpected for Kame and he translated it after a short hesitation.

“I do,” Jin answered seriously.

“So what will you have from it? What do you expect?”

The young gunslinger kept silent for a while, before he responded the question too.

“It will prevent Karnaka from doing this to anyone else.”

When Kame translated, he could see that the old Indian was satisfied with that kind of response. He thought that Flying Feather wouldn´t ask anything else anymore, but he was wrong.

“Is your friend the only reason why you want to avenge?” Kame asked Jin slowly, wondering what the answer would be. He saw Jin to stiffen after hearing that.

“No,” the guy said after a few silent seconds. “I have my personal reasons as well.”

“From what else do you blame him?” Kame interpreted another question, not exactly surprised.

“For destroying also my family,” Jin´s voice changed during those words, it was deeper and dark.

He didn´t say anything else, didn´t give any more details and Kame saw that Flying Feather took his time to decide, if it was enough for him to know. After a minute of tense silence, the Tribal Chief slowly nodded his head and turned his attention to Kame directly.

“He is full of suppressed anger and it can be very dangerous for him in this situation,” Flying Feather said in a serious voice, looking into Kame´s eyes. “But I appreciate that he is honest and he has a good heart. You can tell him he is allowed to hunt on our territory, but as soon as he accomplishes his goal, I want him to keep away from here.”

“Thank you, Flying Feather,” Kame reacted with a huge relief.

“As for you, stay away from this man from now on,” the old Indian continued to Kame´s surprise. “Otherwise, you will get yourself into troubles.”

Kame stared at the Chief for a while, considering if it was worthy to notify him about one simple truth - that he already _is_ in troubles anyway. But he didn´t do it in the end.

“Will you assign one of your tracers to him, as I had asked you to? To help him to track down the animal sooner?”

“No. If he wants this, he should do it himself,” the Indian reacted a little stiff.

“I understand,” Kame lowered his head and turned to Jin again.

The black haired man started to be a little tense again, when he heard for how long the Chief was talking, but he held himself back and didn´t say anything, waiting for them to finish the conversation in the language, which sounded really unfamiliar to him.

“You have their permission,” Kame informed him finally.

Jin would have been lying to himself, if he didn´t admit he felt a great relief. Although, it was a little strange that the old Indian was speaking so long and from Kame it came out only as a short sentence.

“That´s great...” he breathed out. “How can I say ´thank you´ in their language?”

Kame smiled, obviously pleasantly surprised that Jin even bothered with something like that.

“Obrige tamaši,“ the younger one informed him.

Jin faced the Tribal Chief and lowered his head repeating the words, which made the eyes of all three Indians go wide.

*****

“You made a good impression on them,” Kame said at the moment, when he was sure that the Indians couldn´t hear them.

“Really?” the older one snorted in disbelief.

Kame looked at Jin´s face, which was surprisingly gloomy considering the fact their meeting ended more than well.

“Yes,” he confirmed seriously.

Jin didn´t react. He just put the hat back on his head, covering his eyes with the wide brim and went away from the meeting spot. Kame followed him slowly, wondering what might have been the reason of the other´s gloominess.

They got into the saddles of their animals, which were waiting for them patiently, and set off on the way back to the city, in the opposite direction than the Indians did. Kame, riding as the second one, saw how the Jin´s back were stiffened under the black coat.

“I´ve also asked them for helping you with the tracking, but the Chief refused it, I´m sorry,” Kame revealed another information regarding to the negotiation.

“It´s all right, I can handle it alone,” Jin reacted, still looking directly ahead. “But thanks anyway.”

Kame didn´t say anything else. He noticed that Jin was lost deep in his thoughts and didn´t want to talk. Probably, the discussion about his past brought the memories back to him. Memories, which weren´t happy at all and about which he didn´t want to ponder. Kame understood. He knew something like this quite well himself. He also had his painful past, which he didn´t reveal to anyone.

So, the young riders spent the way back to Bozeman in sympathetic silence.

***

 

On the following day in the evening, fortunately not a busy one, Kame was glad that mainly a certain deputy was not present; he went to take the plate after Harada was finished with his dinner, when he was stopped by the man.

“Kame, hold on a minute,” the saloon´s owner pointed at the chair opposite to his. “Sit down; I need to talk to you.”

Kame obeyed without hesitation; there were not many quests in the saloon, so he could afford not to be behind the bar for a while.

“We are almost out of supplies, especially alcohol,” Mr. Harada started, while looking into some papers at the table in front of him. And Kame already knew what to expect, he was well aware of that fact himself. “Franko keeps everything what he has to himself and we are not expecting any stagecoach for next two weeks at least. So, I´m leaving to Billings tomorrow in the morning, to do some shopping myself.”

Harada raised his head and looked at Kame, who was listening to him carefully.

“I´ve decided we would close the business for a week. Those two explorers left just today, and we are without guests except that Akanishi guy. I´ve already spoken with him yesterday and he will not have a problem with that. Moreover, as you know Miss McBain is sick and she stayed in the bed, so I guess there will be no more convenient time for me to leave.”

“Do you want me to go with you as the last time?” Kame asked.

“No, I will take Mike with me this time. Doctor Best said he is fine and can travel.”

Kame didn´t mind that decision. He knew very well Harada wanted to give the boy an opportunity to earn some more money.

“I want to you to keep an eye on the saloon,” Harada continued. “And in the case there will be a problem with that, to notify Grenet, that ´closed´ means the bar is closed _for him_ , too.”

Kame just nodded. He remembered the unpleasant issue they had with the sheriff´s deputy a month ago, because the bar ran out of alcohol.

“I understand.”

“I will let you have the keys, just for a case something happens. I count on you, Kame.”

*

Returning to his duties, Kame checked the guests on the way back to the counter. Only one new appeared since the moment he had gone to serve Mr. Harada - Jin was sitting behind the table in the corner, his coat hung over the empty chair, his hat put aside at the table. The young gunslinger was smoking and not giving any attention to his surroundings. Not even to the pretty harlot, who was clinging to his left side, trying to talk him down into some pleasure time.

Kame didn´t see the black haired one since previous day´s noon, when they returned to the city. He just overheard at the Franko store, that the young newcomer was looking for some things, which had to be ordered in advance because of the long waiting period, and the fat store owner was making stupid jokes about it. Kame assumed that Jin was preparing everything necessary for leaving into the woods for hunting.

The bartender went behind the bar to clean up the dirty glasses and dishes first, watching the one-side conversation in the corner, before the girl finally gave it up and left with a quite aggrieved expression to another customer. Only after that Kame headed for the corner´s table.

“Didn´t you like her?” he asked curiously. “She is one of the most beautiful Sukina´s girls.”

The older guy blinked surprised and raised his eyes to the bartender.

“Who do you mean?” he asked helplessly.

At that moment Kame really started to wonder about what that guy was thinking.

“That girl, who was talking to you in the past few minutes,” he reminded Akanishi slowly.

“Aah, her... Well, she was pretty. But I´m not interested right now...” the guy inhaled the smoke from his cigarette deeply and again, that distant expression appeared in his eyes.

 “What would you like, Jin?” Kame asked carefully, not really sure whether he would receive any response.

 “Whiskey, please.”

Well, it seemed that he was taken into consideration at least.

“Right away,” Kame nodded.

*

It took Jin quite a while before he drank that one shot. All other customers were already gone by that time and Harada asked Kame for locking the saloon before he left to his house, which was located right next to the building.

So, the two of them were left alone and Kame approached an unusually silent guy.

“Don´t you want another one?”

Jin doused the cigarette in the ashtray and shook his head.

“I have to save up,” he murmured.

“On my account,” Kame reacted and Jin raised his eyebrows. “To celebrate the good result from yesterday?” he added as an explanation.

“Really?” Jin seemed to be flattered about the offer. “Fine, but only if you take one with me.”

Kame got surprised by that.

“Well, I don´t drink so much…”

“Just one shot,” Jin was already putting the pleading eyes. “I don´t want to drink alone…”

Kame hesitated for a while, before giving it up. There wasn´t anyone else anymore, so why not.

“Just one.”

He returned to the counter to prepare two glasses and Jin followed him with somewhat more relaxed expression.

“How are your preparations going?” Kame asked.

“Well, slowly…” Jin snorted. “But I will set off tomorrow, anyway. I wanted to wait for a rifle, but that cocky merchant said it would take two weeks, and I can´t wait for that long.”

While Jin was talking, the bartender prepared two drinks and put them at the counter. There was one idea flickering on Kame´s mind and he wasn´t sure what to do with it. Should he say it, or rather not?

“Cheers!” Jin raised his drink for the toast.

The younger one copied him and soon both liquids disappeared in their throats. Kame shook from head to toes feeling the alcohol burning his throat and Jin giggled a little.

“You really don´t drink often, right?”

“No way... I spent almost every evening in the alcohol haze, so I´m not exactly fond of it.”

“Then you have my gratitude for drinking with me,” Jin smiled. “Thank you, Kame. You are a nice guy…”

Kazuya looked into the other´s eyes, which were very dark at that moment. He remembered what Jin said during the meeting with the Tribal Chief and what pain he saw in him even though the older one was trying to hide it. And then Kame spoke up before he could have changed his mind.

“You know… I can help you with that hunting, if you like. I´ve learnt a lot of useful stuff from the Indians about tracking and so…”

Jin stared at Kame confused.

“You would go hunting with me?” he asked slowly.

“Well… Only if you don´t mind. It was just an idea. I won´t have anything to do for a week anyway, so…” Kame caught himself blabbering so he rather shut it up.

“If I don´t mind? It would be great!” Jin´s face brightened up. “Two are always better than one. To be honest, I thought about asking you for help, but I didn´t want to bother you anymore…”

“It´s not bothering,” Kame denied, shaking his head slowly. “I´m willing to help you in anything, if it means that Karnaka won´t be able to accomplish any other raw deals…”

“Great! I take you at your word. So, can you leave with me tomorrow?” Jin asked excited.

“Yes, but… It will be better if no one sees us leaving together,” Kame assumed. “Let´s meet at that old oak next to the northern road, all right?”

“Clear thing!”

*

 

Math Grenet was sitting in the sheriff´s office, smoking his third cigarette within half an hour and going through the notices about the wanted criminals. There were a few of them, some with really bad drawings, but none of them looked like their annoying greenhorn.

Who the hell was that guy? He could shoot too well for somebody that young…

A short knocking tore Grenet out of his thoughts and he spitted out an invitation for coming in. His subordinate entered the smoky room, obviously tired and quite dirty.

“Brad? It was about time,” Grenet welcomed him snorting.

“Evening, boss,” the man basically fell at the free chair. “I was riding as fast as I could.”

“So? Did you find out anything?”

“Well, nothing interesting in Livingston. The people said that they just saw that guy going through the city, he had some meal in the local pub and left. I rode even further then, that´s why I got back late, boss.”

“So, you were in Billings, too?”

“Yes. And only there I finally found out something. He was living there until recently. His father is dead, there are rumors it was a suicide. His mother died even before that. He also has a brother, but nobody knows where that guy is.”

Grenet kept quiet for a while and let the information sink in.

“Fine, anything else? Other relatives? Friends? Where did he get his money from?”

“I didn´t find anyone, who would know him so well, or they didn´t want to speak. I wanted to contact Trent, he is a sheriff there now, but he was out of town. Should I go back there again and try to find out more, boss?”

“No, I´ll send a telegram to him. Any more details about that suicide?”

“People said that man was a real asshole. Drinking, vulgar, aggressive, his wife was totally out of nerves from him. He was beating the kids too. Two months after his wife died, he supposedly shot himself in the head. Our guy was eighteen at that time.”

“Ah, poor Akanishi,” Grenet grinned overreacting.

“Yeah,” Brad laughed as a right toady. “Should we follow him, boss, just for a case?”

“Hmm, no, let him be for now. I´m quite curious if he manages to catch that bear of his. I will report him to our dear superior later.”

***

 

Kame was a little surprised in the morning, seeing the blue sky above the Bozeman City. It was quite unusual in this part of season for the weather to be nice and so warm. It looked like Jin was lucky enough for not having to deal with the wet cold woods, and so he was.

Kame packed up his stuff the previous evening already, asked Lena for picking up the medicaments from Dr. Best and talked himself out of her questions. His mother wasn´t happy from him being away for such a long time, but she didn´t complain, neither pleaded him to stay.

First of all, he helped Mr. Harada and Mike to prepare a carriage for the road and showed them out. During the preparation of horses he spotted Jin leaving already, so he hurried up. He made sure nobody stayed in the saloon, locked all doors and hung the notice with the closing warning at the main entrance. He also bought some supplies at the Franko store and then he went to pick up his mare. Ukushi tolerated the saddle, which he had to put on her this time, as he had some stuff to take with him. His mother even came out to the back yard to show him away, even though he was trying to keep her in the bed. Kame said his goodbye, while assuring her he would be back soon and set off to the meeting point.

*

Kame could see Jin´s horse Kuro chewing on his green breakfast from far away already, but his master was nowhere in sight. He urged his dear Ukushi a little to get to the huge old oak, whose treetop was creating a wide shadow. Kuro raised his head and watched their arrival calmly, without giving out any sign of warning, as if he would have known they were not enemies.

Ukushi carried Kazuya almost under the first branches of the impressive oak, when he finally spotted the two legs in high boots stretched in grass. Jin was lying under the tree, half leaning over its trunk, the hat covering his face, and the dry grass haulm between his lips. His coat was completely open up, exposing the half unbuttoned shirt under it and the slight breeze was playing with the ends of his hair. The young gunslinger seemed to be so relaxed as if there was no Karnaka or Grenet nearby at all.

Kame stopped Ukushi and watched the older one for a while, waiting for any sign that Jin had noticed his presence. Until he caught himself waiting for too long, observing the young man curiously, like some very nice picture of calmness and peace. He cleared his throat a little before speaking.

“Jin? Are you even awake?”

There was no response at first, but then one of the other´s hands rose up lazily, shifting the hat aside. The dark sleepy eyes focused at Kame, who was sitting in the saddle with his eyebrows up.

“Aah, it´s you,” Jin mumbled. “Good morning.”

“And who else?” the younger one reacted. “Didn´t you want to set off as soon as possible?”

Jin put the hands behind his head and let it rest in the palms.

“Yeah… But I think I got up too early this morning…” he yawned like a cat, closing his eyes again.

“Are you kidding?” Kame asked honestly surprised by the older one´s attitude. “Get up.”

“I don´t want to…” Jin murmured.

“Then I´m returning back to the city,” he informed that lazy idler coldly.

Jin opened his eyes immediately.

“Ok, I get it! Will you help me to get up?”

“What? What are you, a kid?”

“Pretty please….” the older guy put on the quite convincing puppy eyes.

Kame sighed. He had already noticed that Jin was a real mood switcher. This side of a seriously good shooter was really surprising and a little annoying, but at the same time somehow cute and Kame had to suppress an amused smile, which started to form on his lips. He dismounted his dear mare and approached the lying guy.

“Come on, you spoiled one,” he offered Jin a hand for help, which the older one accepted with the firm grip.

Kame helped the grinning youngster to get up on his feet, pulling his body up. All of the sudden Jin was really close, so that Kame could feel the warmness of his skin.

“Thanks.”

“Well, you should for this,” Kame informed him stiffly and wanted to let his hand go, but Jin didn´t release the grip.

“I mean it,” the older one said more seriously now. “Thank you. I´m really glad that you´re helping me out. Somehow, it gives me the feeling I will be able to do it, you know?”

Kame blinked confused from a sudden change and looked into those deep eyes, feeling the firm hand on his.

“You can thank me after we catch that bear, what do you say?” he reacted and Jin finally let him go, when Kame stepped back a little. “Come on. We should encamp somewhere before the dark comes and it rather would not be here.”

“It seems to me that I´m very lucky to have someone so responsible with me,” Jin said smiling widely.

Kame rolled his eyes and went to his mare.

“If only I knew you would be such a troublemaker…” he murmured on the way.

An obviously mocking ´sorry´ was heard behind him. Kame jumped up on Ukushi easily by one swift move and looked back.

“And this is what you _didn´t_ mean,” he complained.

And Jin, already sitting at Kuro´s back, started to laugh.

“You got me.”

Kame reached with his hand into one of the bags tied up to the saddle and threw something at Jin so fast, that the older one managed to catch it just in the last second right in front of his face, almost falling down.

“Whoah! What the...!” he stared at the big apple in his hand.

“I guess you didn´t have time for breakfast,” Kame grinned at him.

Jin repaid the grin even more widely, before biting into the tasty fruit. And side by side, they headed to the dark woods.


	9. Tracking down

**A** sharp and joyful sound disturbed the silence lying at the front garden, which was overgrown with persistent weed. Jin looked up to the edge of the old roof above him. Some really small brownish bird with the short tail was hopping there, creating the noise tirelessly. If he remembered well, it was called a sparrow.

It was quite rare to see this species in Montana, as the sparrows were imported to the United States only a few years ago and were spread mostly around the east coast and in Canada. But this one obviously liked the place, which it chose for its home and was letting the whole world know about it. Jin was in temptation to frighten the bird away in order to stop its noisy singing, but it felt like he had no right to do it. Not on this place. He turned away from the feathered singer and looked around the peaceful place again.

He was quite surprised, when Kame led their way here first. And he didn´t know the reason either yet. His companion let him watch over their horses near the entrance of an old house, which was certainly very neat a few years ago, but needed some serious repairs now. Meanwhile, Kame disappeared somewhere behind the house, and Jin had the time to observe his surroundings curiously.

Except the house, there were also the remains of some building, which could have been a barn or stable. It already collapsed years ago, judging from bushes and grass, which took over the broken planks and rotten roof. The garden was small and full of various weeds, but there were still some beautiful flowers among them, which refused to give up their fight for the right to bloom.

The land was situated on a really convenient place, under a short hill, covered by the woods closely only from one side. It looked like the sun could reach the place for most of the day in the winter and in the summer the high leafy trees on the sides of the house were surely creating some cooling shadows. It wasn´t far away from the city either - it took them only an hour of slow ride to get there.

By the time Jin heard the steps in the grass, which belonged to returning Kame, he was already very curious about whose house might it be. Kame was carrying the two long rifles in his hands, with the barrels directed down to the ground. Jin observed them impressed by how well the guns looked like.

“What´s this?” he asked on a little confused voice.

“Can´t you tell?” Kame raised an eyebrow amused.

“Of course I can, but...”

“Don´t tell me that you really intended to hunt a _grizzly_ down with those little pistols of yours,” the younger one pondered aloud.

“Well...” Jin hesitated.

“You did,” Kame found an answer himself. “Well… You would be able to kill a bear cub with them, and only if you could hit the right spot. But an adult male? You would only scratch and definitely piss it off.”

“I´d have figured something out,” Jin objected indignantly. “A trap or something like that...”

“That´s a nice idea, but it´s always better to be sure,” the younger one stated very wisely. “With these you can definitely hurt a bear seriously, if not kill it right away. And in case you will be able to hit the heart... You can imagine the result.”

Jin had to agree with that. He nodded slowly, still admiring the rifles. They were old, but well maintained and clean. Kame handed one of them over to him and Jin took it into his hand carefully. The lethal weapon was heavy, but it was a good feeling to hold a gun like that.

“They belonged to my father,” Kame explained. “I´m leaving them here, it´s better that way. My mother doesn´t like guns at the house, but also I don´t want Grenet to know about them. He would want to buy them in better case...”

Jin looked up from the rifle, but Kame already turned away.

“So... This is your house?” he asked.

The younger one attached the rifle to the saddle carefully and slowly first, before turned his face back to the building.

“No...” he answered quietly, with great sadness suddenly resonating in his voice. “It used to be my home, but... I have no official right for it.”

“How is that so?” Jin looked at him surprised.

“It´s a long story... It belongs to Karnaka now, even though he was never interested in it. Nobody ever comes here, nobody cares about it... That´s why it looks like this.”

Kame didn´t say anything else and Jin felt something weird inside, seeing the other one so sad. And also, all of the sudden, he didn´t like an idea of using the gun in his hands.

“You know, Kame... I cannot accept this,” Jin said slowly.

“What?” the very light brown eyes focused at him. “What do you mean?”

“You´re already helping me so much... And I´m not paying back for it. And now these rifles... They are yours and I shouldn´t use it for my selfish goals. Especially, when you inherited them after your father.”

Kame was staring at him without a word, when Jin reached his hand to give the gun back.

“This is too much. If I was able to pay to you for it, it would be something else, but...”

Jin was stopped in the middle of his speech, when Kame moved suddenly and forced the rifle back to him roughly. The older one stumbled a little because of the sudden force Kame used and looked into his eyes confused.

“That´s enough,” Kame said from such closeness that Jin could feel his warm breath on his face. And the younger´s voice was different; rough and emotional. “Stop saying bullshit. I´ve already told you I have my reasons for helping you out, haven´t I? That I will do anything.”

“That´s true, but Kame...”

Jin gulped the next words down, seeing pain in the beautiful eyes.

“Then stop making excuses for refusing my help,” Kame said sharply.

The bartender´s hands squeezed on his, before letting Jin go. Then he jumped on his mare without any other word, letting Jin stand there with the rifle still in his hands.

“Let´s go, we shouldn´t waste any more time,” Kame urged and turned Ukushi away from the house.

Jin didn´t objected anything this time. He just attached the rifle to his own saddle hastily and after the last look at the deserted house, he rode after the younger one, whose figure already entered the woods again.

***

 

They rode quite far to the south, with just one short stop for a lunch, consisted of some smoked pork meat, onions and bread. They almost didn´t speak on the way, as Kame closed himself up in silence, which Jin, still pondering about the young man´s outburst, didn´t dare to interrupt.

It was not difficult to find the narrow stream, which Jin had already seen once, before he was kindly asked to leave the territory after running up into the Blackfeet Tribe´s Indians. After that they continued their journey down along the creek to find a bigger tributary of the main river, because that one was too small for salmons spawning, which was supposed to attract the bears nearby.

When they reached the place, where the water was running much faster in its trough, the dusk was already coming to the wild. So they encamped for the night below one high rock on the small hill above the stream. It was covered by some small young trees, hidden in the lee.

First, both guys took care of their horses, which welcomed some rest finally and when they accomplished their divided tasks, it was dark. Fortunately, they didn´t have to build a tent or any other shelter for that night, as it looked like the raining really stopped for some time.

*

Jin brought more dry sticks to keep their small fire alive, while Kame cleaned up the dishes from their modest bean dinner in the brook. The nights were cold in the forest, colder than Jin imagined they would be, but he knew it was safer not to keep the fire very high from many reasons. He added only a few pieces from the pile, which he was able to collect, into the flames. The sticks crackled a little and the pleasant heat flooded Jin´s face and hands. If it was not dangerous, he would like to stay so close to the fire for the whole night.

“There is one place nearby which I would like to show you tomorrow...” a quiet voice was heard.

Jin looked up from the fire to focus at Kame, who just sat down at the log, which they dragged there. Somehow, they worked on their camp in strange synchronism, without saying much, but definitely in the unity, which would have surprised them if they had realized it.

The young bartender was holding a leather bottle for water in his hands, looking directly into the flames, which Jin had just fed.

“What place?” the older one asked slowly.

“It´s something like a meeting spot for bears,” Kame explained. “Liwan led me there once. Maybe we will be lucky enough to see some possible target there.”

“That would be great,” Jin reacted, but stayed squatting near the fire.

There was a tense silence for a while, interrupted only by their loyal animals, which enjoyed their late dinner in the form of juicy grass.

“I´m sorry...” Kame said all of the sudden, breaking the silence.

“What for?” Jin asked, altering the fireplace with a long stick.

“For how I burst out before...”

Jin didn´t say anything for a minute, before he stood up and then sat down right next to Kame. He reached into the deep pocket of his long coat and took out the small flask, which he handed over to the younger one.

“Would you like a sip? Instead of that boring water...”

Kame glanced at the suspicious bottle and then at Jin.

“Do you drink every evening?” he raised up a direct question.

“Almost,” Jin grinned a little, still offering him his favorite flask.

Kame put the water aside and accepted it from his hands. He let a small gulp to go down into his mouth and throat. It took him three seconds to react with a surprised huff and distorting his face.

“What is this?” he managed to breathe out.

Jin took the flask back.

“You don´t like it?” he asked honestly surprised. “It´s a secret recipe...”

“I bet you did it yourself.”

A proud smile changed Jin´s face within a moment.

“I did,” he confirmed and took a shot too, savoring it as long as he could.

“God, it feels like burning my throat...” Kame complained seeing it, but when he gulped down again during the second round, his expression changed. “Well, but it doesn´t taste bad now...”

“See?” Jin reacted proudly and hid the flask back to its place for worse times.

“All right, it´s good, I admit. Satisfied?”

 “Very,” Jin nodded.

A short silent pause, which followed, was not tense anymore, but calm and relaxed. Jin felt that Kame didn´t need any encouragement, so he was just waiting, if the younger one wanted to talk or not. It was only up to him. And in the end, he did spoke...

“That house...” Kame breathed out heavily, focused at the fire. “That house always brings me a lot of memories. I was living there with my family. With my parents and two brothers...”

Jin looked at the younger one´s profile with a vague feeling in his chest – it was like he knew what would come next.

“One of Karnaka´s men had discovered the gold somewhere on our property once. It was in the north, not far away from the house, but we didn´t know. Karnaka wanted to buy our lands, he even came in person with an offer of ridiculously small amount of money for them, but my father was insistent. He wouldn´t have let it go for a world. Moreover, he was always against Karnaka, and he wasn´t hiding it.”

Jin didn´t let his eyes off the Kame´s pale face, listening wordlessly.

“So, Karnaka left empty-handed then. But it didn´t take long for them to come... The Karnaka´s gang,” Kame continued more quietly. “They shot my father dead first, then both brothers. They hit me too, assuming I was dead and then raped my mother.”

Kame´s voice was hoarse and full of pain at that moment, and Jin was horrified by what he heard.

“The Blackfeet Tribe´s Indians found us lying in own blood there. My father was their friend; he shared our food supplies with them during the tough winter seasons, as well as they helped him a few times before. If they didn´t come that time, we would have be dead too.”

Kame was talking with his eyes reflecting the yellow flames, without a move, with his body totally frozen, while Jin was watching him from the side, a knee right next to the younger´s, and feeling the pain from the younger one. He could feel it, because he knew. He knew how it felt like, when somebody destroyed your life for their own targets, not taking anything else into consideration.

“During all those years I spent in their village, my thoughts were always wondering around Karnaka... When I grew older, I thought I would go and kill him for what he did. But I didn´t do it. If I did, and I would have been killed or arrested in the process, my mother would have stayed alone. And I couldn´t do that, I couldn´t leave her. She was already broken enough. So I was holding back for all that time, doing nothing to avenge my family. Nothing at all... And that´s why I´m helping you now, Jin,” saying those last few words, Kame turned his eyes to the older one finally. “After all that time, you´re the very first one, who came here and wanted to do something against that bastard.”

Jin repaid the other´s glance seriously.

“That´s why I will do anything to help you,” Kame repeated firmly. “I want that man to suffer. I want him dead. But I´m worried about my mother, that´s why I don´t want anyone to know about this. You don´t have to repay it to me with money or anything else. Because just what you want to do is enough for me. I just need to do _something_ to get a payback for my family...” Kame´s voice broke in the last part of his talk and Jin noticed, how unnaturally shiny his eyes were.

“Kame...” he said through the narrow throat and put a hand on his shoulder slowly. “I understand... And I will do everything not to let you down, all right?”

Kame seemed to loosen up a little; his stiffness went away under the Jin´s touch.

“Thank you,” it was only a whisper, but honest and emotional.

“There´s nothing to thank for yet,” Jin smiled at him faintly. “But I´m glad you told me... I didn´t have any idea what you have been through.”

“But I´m not the only one in this, am I?” Kame reacted slowly.

Jin´s hand took a firmer grip around the younger´s shoulder, as he replied: “Yeah... You´re not...”

*

Kame wasn´t sure, if it was really such a good idea to tell Jin about what had happened to him in the past, but he just couldn´t fight that urge to explain his attitude to the older one anymore. He already trusted him; he believed that Jin really wanted to do what he had said, especially after what was told during the meeting with the Tribal Chief. But he felt quite bad about how he burst out in the morning without Jin even knowing why.

And at the moment, when Jin placed a hand on his shoulder and he looked into those dark but warm eyes, he already knew it was right to tell him. Even more than right... Kame felt the silent understanding between them and he was sure Jin felt it as well. Only now they could trust each other fully, when they got to know about the pain of the other one.

After all those years, which Kame spent by burying the bitter feelings of helplessness and anger, which couldn´t have been released, it was a damn good feeling to have Jin by his side. He could share all of that with him, because the older guy understood. He went through something very similar and even though Kame didn´t know what exactly happened with his family, except that Karnaka had Jin´s friend´s blood on his hands, he didn´t need to know to feel like that.

Kame could see in the Jin´s eyes and feel from the grip of his hand, that he was not alone anymore and it was a great relief from his dark burden. He didn´t expect that it would have such a big influence at him. Not even in his dreams...

*

That night was the first one after many, when both Jin and Kame spent sleeping without any bad dreams, lost in calming darkness, which was giving them the strength. And that was something they definitely needed for the following days...

***

 

The next morning they got up early. At least Kame did and then he had to deal with Jin, who intended to spend hours hidden in his warm coat and under the blanket, instead of going to their tracking journey. The older one changed his mind only when Kame brought the full mug of the cold water from the brook and poured it right over his face, obviously having a great fun watching Jin shaking his head from right to left, trying to get rid of the drops in his ears. With insulted murmuring Jin got up and prepared to set off, calming down a little after the breakfast which Kame prepared.

The place, which Kame wanted to reveal to the older guy, wasn´t very far away, so they left Kuro and Ukushi tied to the trees near their camping place, extinguished the fire and headed down along the brook.

Kame was leading their way and he slowed down the fast pace only after Jin stopped complaining about the mornings in the wild being damn cold.

It was very damp under the high trees, but actually it looked like they would be really lucky with the weather, as the rays of sunshine were fighting their way through the branches above them, creating the beautiful scenery at each little glade they went across.

It was already quite warm, when the guys reached the edge of some escarpment and a very nice view appeared under them. They could see the wide clearing, where the three streams were joining their flows together, creating a little lagoon, before splitting into the two brooks again. The banks of a small lake were covered with the cranberry bushes, still bearing their fruits.

Jin stopped next to Kame, and observed the natural scenery curiously.

“Liwan sometimes uses this place for talking with the spirits,” Kame said quietly, as he didn´t want to disturb the peace of the place.

“Does he talk with bears, too?” Jin asked amused.

Kame glanced at the older one a little offended.

“No, but they come here quite often. This is something like their resort.”

“No wonder, I would be able to spend whole days doing nothing here,” Jin reacted.

“That would be totally not surprising of you; I would bet on it,” Kame said in a sardonic tone.

“You could use some vacation too, dear Kame,” the older one responded with a wide grin.

“Maybe, but definitely not now,” he informed Jin stiffly. “Come on... We should check if there are any tracks and it´s a tough way down.”

Kame turned away with the intention to find a secret path down the hill, when he was grabbed by the firm hand and pulled down, so he had to squat behind the high grass, which covered the edge of the escarpment.

“What are you...?” he started surprised.

“Ssh!” Jin warned him, pressing a finger over own lips and then he pointed down to the lagoon. “Look...” he whispered.

Kame didn´t know what Jin meant first, but after he checked the bushes down there again, he finally saw it too. He thought it was some fallen tree at first, but now he could see that the brown form was moving.

They were waiting tensely, almost forgetting to breathe when the biggest bushes at one side of the lake went apart and the impressive silhouette came out and approached the water surface. The brown bear was at least two meters big, with its firm muscles moving forward was hard to tell, but it had to weigh one hundred and sixty, maybe even seventy kilograms.

“Holy crap, it´s huge!” Jin breathed out, still holding on Kame´s arm firmly. Not that the younger one tried to shake him away; Kame was staring at the animal any less fascinated. It was too far for a precise shooting, but still they could perceive the enormous power which was coming from it.

“And you saw nothing yet...” Kame whispered then. “This is only a female... And they are usually even bigger around here.”

 “Really?” Jin huffed out surprised. “That´s just… Wow...”

“Grenet was right in this. The Grizzly bears around here are really terrifying creatures. They can kill you in the instant, making the bloody pile of legs and arms from you. I didn´t expect we would be able to see any so soon. We have to be more careful...”

“Well, when we are already here and armed, why don´t we try our luck?” Jin whispered a proposal.

Kame stiffened hearing that.

“No way,” he hissed at Jin, who looked at him confused.

“Why not? Who knows, when we will...”

“Because she has the cubs, look,” this time it was Kame showing down with his hand carefully. “On the other side...”

And then Jin spotted what Kame saw before him. There were some more movements in the bushes, and when he focused at it, he could see the parts of the two much smaller brown furs playing with each other. It didn´t take long before the little ones appeared alongside their mother and Jin found them quite cute, as they were jumping at each other trying to put the other down.

“They are too small,” Kame´s breath tickled Jin at the cheek. “They won´t survive without her.”

Jin sighed and tore the eyes off the two cuties to look at Kame, who was leaning towards him. They were really close now, interrupting the other one´s personal space, but Jin realized very surprised, that he didn´t mind Kame being so close, despite the fact he usually hated when somebody was too touchy.

“So, we had to find another one...” he stated with only a little disappointment.

“Yes. Unless you really want to kill this one...” the expression in Kame´s eyes revealed hesitation and expectation.

“No, you are right. I wanted to hunt down a male in the first place anyway.”

“Fine,” Kame obviously relaxed his stance. “Let´s move then, we have to search further...”

Jin released his grip and they both sneaked away from the edge of the hill, letting the bear family to enjoy their usual routine.

***

 

The next three days went by without any success. They were searching through the both banks of now a very strong stream, but except some tracks of foxes, elks, two coyotes and one wolf, they had no luck for any bear´s trail. The salmons spawning already started, they could see the fishes swimming against the flow tirelessly and it was the best time of the year to find some solitary grizzly around. Despite this fact, they found nothing which would indicate its presence.

But Kame was very calm and patient and he managed to transfer some of this calmness to Jin, who was starting to be nervous. They always built only temporary camp and moved it every day. It was useless to build up anything permanent, when they were going through such a wide range. Luckily, it still wasn´t raining, which Jin accepted as a great gift.

And finally, on the fourth day Jin spotted something in the moss, which made his heart to beat faster.

“Kame?”

His companion was in the duty of leading the horses behind them, so that they wouldn´t destroy any possible tracks of bears in the front. Jin waited till Kame let the animals standing near the three closely growing pines and approached him.

“Is this what I think it is?” he asked, pointing at the deep footprint.

Kame crouched down and let go of a deep impressed sigh.

“Yes. And it´s not very old, only a few hours.”

“Is it only me, or it really seems like this one has at least three meters?”

Kame stood up again.

“Well, not three, but it _is_ big. I think it´s exactly what you wanted.”

“Sure… I´m so looking forward to see it,” Jin murmured. But he was not so sure about it. Only that print in front of them was already quite scary.

Kame examined the trail again, thinking for a while.

“I think we should leave the horses in some shelter, in a cave at the best, so that they won´t reveal us. Just in case. Then we should try to track it.”

“Agreed,” Jin nodded immediately.

*

For the surprise of both young hunters, even though the animal had to be huge, all they could find during a whole day were tracks of it. The footprints, broken sticks, scratched stem, a destroyed hive of wild bees. And the forest was strangely quiet. Too quiet for their taste. It was like the grizzly was playing with them and Jin didn´t like it at all.

When they trudged back to the small cave, tired as hell, it was already really cold and dark and they couldn´t afford to set up a big fire. It wasn´t very probable it would have attracted the grizzly to them, but it was always better to be cautious.

So they were sitting at the entrance of the cave, leaning to the stone wall, so close to each other that their shoulders were touching, the legs covered with the thick blanket, eating the cold meat and some berries, while their horses were hidden in the back part were chewing on their daily portion of oat.

The small flames, which they dared to light up, were not strong enough to make some light in the dark, neither to warm them up properly. They were looking into the darkness, listening to the sounds of the night birds, both rifles within the reach of their hands. They were both well aware of the fact that the grizzly bears are too imponderable to let their guard down.

“We should keep the watches tonight,” Kame said after he finished his dinner, crouching in his coat and breathing at his hands to make them a little warmer.

“Do you really think it´s necessary?”

Jin´s voice was tired as well as Kame´s; they were wandering through the rough terrain for days already and it influenced them a lot.

“Maybe not, but... I heard many stories from my Indian friends about their encounters with bears and believe me, it´s not a visit which we would want to welcome unprepared. I´ll take the first one, you can try to get some sleep.”

“All right. But I have to pee first,” Jin dug himself out from the blankets unwillingly and got up.

“Just stay close,” Kame reminded him.

*

Jin was back right away, not very fond of the hundreds of dark shadows under the trees and got back under the covers, which were kept warm by Kame. He fidgeted a little and then he looked at the faint features of the younger´s face, who was still observing the woods outside the cave.

“Kame?”

“What is it?”

“Would you mind if I lean on you? Just to keep the warmness...”

As Kame turned his face to Jin, the faint orange light of the dying fire appeared in his eyes for a second.

“Sure...” he agreed quietly. “It will be better for both of us.”

“Thanks...”

Relieved Jin made himself comfortable leaning to Kame´s side and letting his head rest on his shoulder. He could also feel the younger one´s slim leg next to his own and the temperature was much better almost right away. He closed his eyes, not even thinking about if the situation was awkward or not, as it felt so good it didn´t come up to his mind…

*

Kame thought it would be weird to let Jin be so close to him, but it wasn´t. Despite all their previous efforts, he still felt cold, but only till the moment when Jin´s body attached to his. Something shivered in Kazuya´s stomach and a pleasant warmness flooded him. He could also feel the faint sense of Jin´s hair and he heard his breathing.

Kame wouldn´t have even imagined it would feel so good to have the weight of Jin relying on him. He was almost afraid to move, in fear that it would chase that feeling away.

*

After the two hours, their positions changed and even though Kame wasn´t sure, if he should do the same or not, Jin assured him it was all right, so he ended up having his nap leaning to the older one, too. He was quite surprised later, that he was able to sleep at all, but it felt safe, with Jin next to him, on the alert.

But the exhaustion caught them up in the end, and they both fell asleep a couple of hours before the dawn, so close to each other as it was even possible.

 


	10. Grizzly

**W** hen Kame woke up in the morning, something was different than usual. He felt warm and safe, despite the chilly air he was breathing in. Then he realized that this feeling was caused by another body, which was clinging to his own. He opened his eyes and found himself snuggled close to the Jin´s broad chest.

They were half-sitting, half-lying near the cave´s entrance, only the grey ashes were left from their fire and the faint day light was flooding the space outside.

 _So we both fell asleep in the end_ , Kame thought. _So much for keeping the watches…_

He moved away a little intending to get up, but a heavy arm prevented him from doing that. Kame stiffened and looked at the older one´s face surprised, but Jin was still sleeping, dragging him back only self-consciously.

For quite a long time already, Kame wasn´t used to be so close to someone with the exception of his mother. It should have been strange for him to be hugged by another guy like that. But Kame was hit with the realization that it didn´t feel unpleasant at all, more like the opposite… It felt too good.

A sting of guilt pinched through Kame´s stomach, when he caught himself wondering what it would be like to remain in those arms and sneak up even closer. He shouldn´t think like that… He gulped down through the narrow throat and shook Jin´s arm away gently, escaping from his hug.

*

Jin didn´t want to let go of that warmness, which made him feel as comfortable as for a long time nothing else and tried to keep it close to him, still half asleep. But then something moved and that warm comfort was gone. He raised his eyelids, unsatisfied with the happenings and spotted Kame, who just sat up.

Jin blinked, trying to gather his senses. So the younger one was the cause of that good feeling? Of course he was; they were keeping the watches and then…

“Damn…” he murmured, realizing the truth. “I fell asleep…”

His voice made Kame to turn towards him.

“We both did,” he informed Jin with a faint smile. “Don’t worry; everything seems to be all right.”

“No bear at our doorstep? Glad to hear that.”

A wave of coldness shook with Jin, when Kame put the blankets away.

“Damn it, did we sleep over the rest of autumn?” he complained sullenly. “I hate these cold mornings…”

“It´s better to limber it up,” Kame recommended him already standing.

“I think it would have been better if you stayed here,” Jin reacted quietly, already hiding himself under the blankets again, so that only his face was seen outside.

“What did you say?” Kame looked at him uncertainly.

“Nothing,” Jin mumbled into the blanket, actually surprised himself, that he said something like that.

Kame was observing him for a while and looked kind of cute with that scruffy hair and the face still dark after the sleep. Jin tore his eyes from the younger one hastily.

_I must be still dreaming to think like that…_

“I´ll go for the water and if you light the fire up meanwhile, I will make some coffee, what do you say?” Kame proposed and Jin immediately focused at him again.

“You have a coffee?!” he exclaimed and even peeked out from his hill of cloths.

 “A little,” Kame nodded. “But it can be done only if you take care of some fire.”

“Of course!” Jin was already digging himself out of his shelter. “You are a miracle, Kame. Come here, I want to hug you!”

“I think that almost whole night was quite enough for hugging,” Kame reacted, already going for the bottle in the back part of their cave.

“What?” it was Jin who thought that he overheard this time.

“Nothing important,” Kame waved with his hand and headed away quite in a rush. “I´ll be right back.”

*

It took approximately five minutes of walk through the forest to get to the brook, from which Kame could take the fresh water. A fast pace warmed him up and the sun, which was flooding the peaceful scenery, helped to chase the morning stiffness away. Their cave was on the place, which the sun couldn´t reach for next two hours and that was also the reason why it was so cold there.

Kame unbuttoned his coat and after washing his face in the cold stream he finally felt completely awake. But he didn´t manage to shake away that bothering and strange feeling, which was making him to think about the other guy.

A cry of the buzzard looking for a breakfast cut through the air and made him to look up. Well, they could definitely use some view from above now. Too bad they missed the wings for that.

Kame took the full bottle and with a new energy he headed back. He was almost at the place, going along the short steep hill, when he heard some loud crack from above and an angry swearing right after that. Kame stopped and started to search between the trees with his eyes.

“Jin?! Are you all right?”

It didn´t take long for a young man to appear a few meters above him.

“I swear that right after that bear I will exterminate all squirrels in this forest!” he declared loudly. “One of them just scared the hell out of me! It threw a cone on me, would you believe it?”

Grumpy Jin stopped next to one tree leaning on it, while Kame suppressed the laughing.

“And now I can start collecting the wood again,” the older one continued his complaints.

Kame wanted to react at that childish statement, but some sudden movement caught his attention, and he turned his head towards it...

*

Jin´s heart was still beating fast. He almost jumped out of his skin, when something hit him over the head and all dry sticks he collected till that moment fell off his hands.

_Stupid squirrels…_

Kame was standing at the path under him, obviously amused.

“I mean it,” Jin repeated. “I won´t let that little cocky animal go away with that and…”

“Silence, Jin,” Kame said those two words on a forcefully calm voice.

Only then Jin noticed that his companion was basically frozen on the spot, his head turned to the right, the eyes wide. He peeped from behind the tree to see what the hell Kame was looking at… And he gulped the incoming question down heavily.

A brown-silver mountain of muscles with four feet seemed to appear from nowhere and it was undeniably approaching the place, where Kame was standing without a single move. And it was looking directly at him.

Jin was totally baffled seeing this picture; he assumed that the animal would make a horrible noise while moving or at least some sounds to alert them about its presence. But it was moving very quietly; only now he could hear the little stones and sticks under its paws.

“Stay where you are,” Kame whispered. “It didn´t notice you...”

How Jin wished that the same would have count for Kame, too.

“You don´t have the rifle with you, do you?” the younger one asked then.

Jin was staring at the incredibly huge grizzly totally horrified.

“No…” he let go of a faint response.

The bear stopped its movement forward, and Kame repaid the glance of its small devilish eyes. The animal arched its back, so that a huge bulge appeared behind its ears and moved from one leg to another. That was not a good sign...

“I will be the bait. Go back for the rifle,” Kame was still talking quietly, but very fast now.

“What?” Jin hissed. “I can´t let you go alone!”

“It sees me as an enemy at its territory. And he is…”

The rest of Kame´s sentence was lost in horrifying uproar, which came out from the wide muzzle full of the sharp teeth. It shook Jin from head to toes; it felt like a wave of sound was pushing him to the ground.

“We don´t have another option,” Kame blurted out, completely tense at his spot, ready to run off. “I´ll lead him to the stream, then down the flow.”

The grizzly stood on his back feet, releasing the terrifying sound again. And Jin hated Kame´s idea at that moment...

“Kame…”

“Jin!” Kame dared to give him one short glance, which pierced Jin through. “I´m counting on you,” he said hastily in a voice, which was full of thrilled tension.

The bear got down again and only a half of second before it, Kame started to run away, leaving the water behind. He disappeared from Jin´s eyes among the trees and bushes in no time, the guy was really fast. But what sent shivers into Jin´s spine was the pace with which the grizzly chased after him. It was like an unstoppable avalanche, leaving only disaster behind.

Jin basically jumped from the place, where he was standing so far, leaving a shallow hole there, and rushed up to their camp so fast that he didn´t see anything else than the short space in front of him. Flooded with adrenalin and worries for Kame, he thought only at one thing - to kill that furry creature as soon as possible.

*

The forest around him was only a blurry image of something what didn´t have any meaning. Kame focused on the safe movement forward fully, avoiding the dangerous stones and jumping over the fallen trees. Even one single mistake or stumble could cost him his life. He heard the angry chaser behind him; it was so close, as if he felt the sticky hot sniff right on his skin.

So far, the grizzly was a little slower than him, but unlike for Kame, it was not that dangerous for the animal to run around. There were not many things which could have hurt it…

At one moment Kame didn´t notice a low hanging branch and changed the direction of his running too late. It hit him over the shoulder and neck roughly. It didn´t hurt much, but he lost his balance and almost fell to the ground, losing some precious seconds from his lead. With his heart on the race, he continued to run towards the brook.

*

Kuro and Ukushi were neighing nervously in the cave, but Jin didn´t have time for calming them down. He just grabbed the rifle and the box of bullets from the ground right next to the blankets, in which they were sleeping peacefully only a few minutes ago. In a hurry, he checked if the gun was loaded and rushed back in the direction from which he came.

It felt like the time was much faster than him though...

*

Kame didn´t see the beauty of the place anymore. Who would be admiring the nature while being pursued by the quarter ton heavy bear?

He hesitated at the bank, looking for a better side of the stream, but then he twitched his head back, shocked by the loud sounds behind him. The grizzly was unbelievably fast… He looked around again and spotted the huge solitary rock on the other side of the stream, probably fallen from some mountain above this place decades ago.

Kame hurried to the water and with a loud spatter fought against the lively flow, which was trying to trip up his legs. A threatening roar hit his ears, when he was in the middle of it. He didn´t dare to look back, but he was sure the bear was much closer. His left feet slipped on one of the stones under the surfaces unexpectedly and he kept his balance only in the last second. But he lost some more time because of that and before he got out of the water, he could already hear the grizzly entering the stream too.

 _I won´t make it,_ Kame realized. _I cannot run away far enough to gain time for Jin to catch up._

That rock looked smaller from this point of view, than from the other side of the brook, but it was his only and best chance.

*

Jin reached the small river almost out of breath from the crazy race through the woods. He checked both sides but to his horror, he didn´t see anything which would have led him to Kame. He forced himself to calm down, stood there on the spot motionless and focused on his hearing. There had to be something what would tell him where…

A quite loud uproar resonated through the air on his left. Jin reacted even before the sound died out completely, running across the stones towards it. In less than a half minute he spotted the place, where Kame got himself during the run in front of the grizzly. He was holding with all his might on the top of a huge stone covered by dark green moss on the other side of the stream.

Jin considered it as a good idea, because the stone was almost three meters high, so out of grizzly´s reach and the animal couldn´t get up there, no matter how skillful it would be in climbing on the trees. But he didn´t understand, why the rock was shaking so violently… It looked like Kame would fall over the edge any second, as he didn´t have many possibilities how to hold on to it. Only when Jin got closer, he could see that the reason was just too clever and too strong animal. The grizzly was attacking the stone with terrifying force, trying to overturn it.

If Jin didn´t see it with his own eyes, he wouldn´t have believed it. The bear was half covered behind the stone, and Jin couldn´t shoot at him like that. In the middle of this thought, he was already on his way across the river. He overcame only two meters from it, when Kame wasn´t able to hold up to the stone anymore and fell down to the ground heavily with the faint cry of pain.

Jin froze on the spot, where he was and without hesitation he raised the rifle up to his cheek. Everything mattered on the good aiming now. That fucking bear was already approaching Kame fast, firmly on all its four legs again. Kame was trying to get away from the bear´s reach desperately, but his feet got stuck between the two stones.

Jin didn´t care if he hit the animal´s head and destroy it by that. He would stop that crazy fur at all costs. A loud shot disturbed the peace of nature. The grizzly stopped his movement and wavered, clattering in pain. Kame was staring at the animal from the ground, breathing heavily; while Jin prepared the rifle for another shooting and aimed once again.

The Grizzly lord raised his head to bawl, when Jin pulled the trigger for the second time. This time the animal was hit into the chest and not the shoulder. The bear moved in the last try to reach Kame, sitting only a meter in front of him, before falling on his side with a loud thud.

Jin finished his task of overcoming the stream much slower now, stopped on the bank and loaded the rifle again first, trying not to let the bear out of his sight. He noticed that his hands were shaking as hell and he was quite amazed by the calmness with which he was able to shoot precisely only seconds ago.

When he approached the scene with the fallen king of the woods carefully, Kame was trying to get up. Dirty, out of breath and with scratches all over his face, but there was no time Jin would have seen the younger one more gladly. Still full of adrenaline and relief at the same time, he came closer and he supported Kame for his arm, helping him to get up on his feet. Then he pulled the shaken up guy to himself, hugging him tightly with one hand around his waist, still holding the gun in the second one. Jin felt Kame´s chest rising up and back down fast, as well as his heart still speeding rapidly in the almost same pace as his own.

At first, Kame was stiff, but then he leant to Jin gratefully with a deep breath going out. It was a short hug, but full of their tension and relief from both sides. Jin stepped back and looked at the other one´s face.

“Are you…?” he couldn´t even finished the sentence; his throat was dry and narrow.

“I´m all right…” Kame answered in a hoarse voice. “I think I just sprained my ankle a little, but it will be fine.”

Jin nodded and let him go, focusing on the pile of motionless meat. With the rifle prepared, he approached the bear which could be a very unpleasant ending for their tracking. But the animal´s eyes were blank, staring to nothing, its snout slightly open, and a lot of blood spreading around it and soaking into the soil.

Kame followed him and stayed right behind his back, looking at the dead but still terrifying animal.

“We were damn lucky that it didn´t find us during the night,” he whispered.

“Yeah,” Jin nodded, trying to estimate the bear´s size. “I know they say that the bears are huge here, but this…”

Kame went forward and crouched down slowly, being careful about his left ankle.

“I doubt you would find any more impressive grizzly than this one in the ten miles radius,” he said quietly, evaluating the fur, teeth and claws. “It is very old, almost at the upper edge of adultery and the biggest one I´ve ever seen.”

Jin leaned over him to look at the bear´s head from near too.

“But I don´t understand… Why was it so pissed off?”

Kame pointed out on one of the animal´s front legs.

“It had an infection in this wound, see? I think it messed up with its thinking a little…”

“So... It was even more dangerous to play on cat and mouse with it than usual, right?”

Kame turned his head to Jin, and found his face really close, the eyebrows narrowed in concern.

“Each single encounter with the grizzly is a danger, Jin,” he said slowly. “Even in the case that you are not trying to cut off its head.”

“Whatever,” Jin retorted stubbornly, standing up straight again. “Do not ever do something like today again.”

“Why are you so upset?” Kame asked looking at him from the ground. “We managed what you wanted to – you will have your bear´s head so…”

“Fuck bear´s head!” Jin exclaimed frustrated. “I´m upset, because you could die thanks to my idiotic idea!”

Kame flinched at the sudden outburst. Jin looked into his eyes directly.

“I just don´t want you to get hurt because of me…” he added very quietly.

Kame rose up to his level and came closer limping a little.

“Look, I volunteered for this while knowing into what I´m going to. It was my choice. So don’t take the blame on yourself,” he reminded him.

Jin didn´t look persuaded, but didn´t say anything to object what Kame stated.

“We should go back to the camp right now,” the younger one said, looking back on their catch. “We have to deal with the corpse before other animals will find it.”

“Yeah, but can you really walk?” Jin asked worried.

“I will handle it, don´t worry,” Kame assured him.

*

Jin helped Kame on the way up to their camp anyway; supporting him so that the younger one could relieve to the painful leg as much as possible. They made sure the horses were safe in the cave, checking the light ropes, which hold them there. They also gave them some fodder, and then they took all necessary tools – including two long knives and ax, before heading back down to the stream.

Although Kame was trying hard to cover it, Jin could see that the sprinkled ankle caused him more and more pain. But he didn´t say anything, and just helped the younger one during walking.

It was good to see that the bear was still lying there, when they got back to the spot. Everything happened so fast, that it felt almost like a dream.

Cutting the bear´s head off was really an awful and bloody job to do and they were neither skillful nor fond of it, but it had to be done as soon as possible, to avoid any possible damage. It was the procedure which mostly Kame did. Knowing the theory well, he started cutting from the upper part under the first vertebra carefully, while Jin was on the edge of vomiting, despite the fact they hadn´t eaten anything yet. Kame also knew one man who was doing the taxidermy preparation of animals for many years and he wasn´t living far away from Bozeman. They just had to deliver the head to him soon enough.

It was already after noon, when they finished the task and went a little up along the brook to the deeper part, where the water was reaching their knees, to wash away the sweat, dirt and blood.

Without hesitation, both guys took their shirts away and only in their pants entered the cold stream. Especially Kame breathed out deeply with huge relief, when he sat down at one stone towering above the flow and let his leg rest in the cooling water. Jin even kneeled down and put the whole head under the surface, splashing everything what could have caught during the crazy hunt in his hair away. Then he threw some water at his face and chest too, shaking like hell after that but feeling much better.

They both got used to the freezing feeling soon, as the sun was flooding the small valley with autumn warmness. Nevertheless Jin didn´t stay in the flow for long. He made himself comfortable on the bank and faced the sun with his eyes half-closed.

His skin was almost dry again, when he heard the splashing steps of Kame going towards him.

“What about your ankle?” Jin asked.

“Much better,” there was a response from the guy, who reached the bank carefully and sprinkled some water on Jin on the way.

“Hey!” Jin screamed not very fond of the cold shower and peered at Kame, who was standing above him.

The younger one was completely wet, starting from hair, which was sticking to his neck and shoulders, then down across the smooth chest and narrow waist. The drops were sparkling on his skin and his eyes, changed by the light into almost bronze color, were shining in amusement. Actually, Kame looked beautiful like that…

Jin gulped down heavily, suddenly not able to focus his look somewhere else, staring at the guy as if he saw him for the first time. Was this bartender always so... Attractive?

“It wasn´t intentional,” Kame smiled innocently, which only benefited the whole image.

Then, as if he realized something, Kame broke the connection of their eyes hastily and sat down next to Jin, to let himself dry up too, with his eyes focused at the running water in front of them.

“I´m not so sure about that…” Jin grunted and turned his boots, which were put on his right, around nervously, to expose the other side of them to the sun.

_Wait. Nervous? Why the hell am I nervous?_

Somewhat confused Jin spotted something unusual on Kame´s otherwise smooth skin then. It was a quite big and scary scar in the lower part of his back. He saw it only now, when he changed his position, putting his hands back to lean on them.

The younger one probably realized his staring, because he turned to face him and his expression got more serious. Jin looked into his eyes, and this time Kame didn´t dodge the glance.

“Is that…?” Jin started quietly.

“Yeah,” Kame nodded. “It´s from the day I was shot by Karnaka´s men.”

Jin felt cold shivers on his back seeing the evidence, which almost a lethal wound left on Kame. It was really a miracle that the guy was still alive.

“I´m really glad you survived that, you know?”

Kame´s lips created such a sad smile, that Jin felt an urge to hug him. Then he looked away and the older one noticed that his expression became distant, as if he was lost somewhere else.

 _Crap, I didn´t mean to spoil the mood…_ Jin jumped up on his feet lively.

“Well, we should deal with our catch before those sneaky squirrels will steal it part after part, right?” he proposed while turning around and his eyes wandered across the bushes behind Kame´s back…

In the next second, he jumped down for his revolver, which was carefully put aside on the pile of his clothes. Jin was aiming directly at the spot, where he caught a glimpse of unusual color, in the eye blink.

“Stay where you are or I´ll shoot!” he stated loudly and the hasty movement in the bushes stopped.

Kame rose on his feet surprised and hissed over the ache he almost forgot about.

“What is it?”

“Well, I have the same question,” Jin reacted sharply, his eyes narrowed. “Come out, whoever you are. Right now!”


	11. The last campfire

**I** t took three long and very tense seconds before an unknown person hiding in the dark place under the group of cranberry bushes moved again, causing the leaves to shake violently.

“Slowly,” Jin emphasized with his gun directed on the stranger. He didn´t like any unexpected visits and he intended to demonstrate it more than clearly.

The dark green wall went apart and somebody stood up from the ground, where the man was lying till that moment. Both Kame and Jin gaped in shock.

“Liwan?!” Kame exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”

The shaman´s son was obviously not happy from being discovered and was frowning as hell, not very willing to respond.

“Well... That´s clear, isn´t it?” Jin hissed scornfully, not frightened by the Indian´s expression at all, and lowered his gun down, but didn´t put it away. “He was spying on us.”

Finally, the Indian spoke after Jin´s accusation, but in his mother tongue. Kame listened to him, but Jin was only more pissed by the attitude of the red spy.

“Kame, can you ask him to be so kind and speak in English?” he suggested, while piercing Liwan with his eyes. “I know he is able to.”

Kame looked at him and hesitated for a while, but then he nodded in agreement.

“You´re right… Liwan?”

The red man frowned even more, so that his eyebrows almost touched above the long nose, and mumbled something in the Indian language again. And even Kame got irritated after that.

“You´re not in the position to insult him,” he said coldly.

The younger´s reaction surprised the Indian; Jin could see it in his face.

“Be so nice and explain your reasons for being here,” Kame continued sharply.

If the guy had used this tone towards him, Jin wouldn´t have dared to object a thing. And not surprisingly, it had the same effect on the Indian.

“I heard shooting,” Liwan said slowly. “I came to check it out.”

“So, you were _not_ spying on us?” Jin asked suspiciously.

“Just checking,” Indian repeated with the angry shine in his dark eyes.

Not being convinced so easily, Jin reacted by the next question.

“What are you doing so far away from your village then?”

It could be seen on Kame, that he would like to know the answer on this question as well. Liwan´s expression changed and he got a little nervous, avoiding looking at Kame.

“You came to check up on me, right?” Jin asked again with a knowing smirk.

“Is it true?” Kame asked his friend, understanding exactly what Jin meant.

Liwan was looking at them blankly for a while, before nodding his head.

“Flying Feather ordered to watch over him,” he admitted unwillingly.

Jin was not surprised at all, but Kame was...

“Why?” the younger guy asked bitterly. “He gave Jin the permission for this hunt.”

“To be sure,” the Indian replied haughtily. “We don´t know him and we must be careful. And you should not be here, Kame. You were told not to involve with him.”

Jin stared at the Indian almost amazed by his honesty. Then he glanced at Kame, whose expression wasn´t telling anything good.

“It´s only my business what I do, Liwan,” he declared in a very calm voice, which sounded somewhat dangerous. “I am responsible for myself and Flying Feather is aware of that.”

Unlike Jin, Liwan didn´t like Kame´s reaction, but he didn´t start to argue with him. That was a wise decision to make, considering the coldness of Kame´s attitude. Instead of any next objections, the Indian shifted his sharp look at Jin.

“So... Shooting? Why?” he asked shortly.

Jin was repaying his glance for a while, before he responded.

“You can look at it yourself if you want...”

*  


Jin felt quite a satisfaction, seeing their spy thunderstruck by the corpse, to which they led him. The Indian huffed a few times, went around the bear and checked the cut off head closely.

“Only two shots?” he asked then.

“Yes,” Jin confirmed concisely, still amazed by this fact himself.

Liwan mumbled something, what Jin didn´t understand, but considering Kame´s satisfied expression, it wasn´t anything he should have been insulted about. The young shaman stood up.

“Good age. Good fur,” he acknowledged with a serious nod.

From the sudden impulse, Jin spoke again, before even thinking about the idea: “You can have it.”

Liwan´s and also Kame´s eyes went wide hearing his words.

“What?” the Indian obviously didn´t understand.

“That bear,” Jin explained more clearly. “I will take the head only, so your tribe can have the rest. It would be a huge waste to let it rot here. You will use it properly, right?”

The red man looked like somebody who was just told that the sun is not the sun, but the moon. Kame approached Jin with a confusion written over his face.

“Do you mean it, Jin?” he asked, not being able to cover his surprise.

“Of course,” Jin shrugged. “What would I do with the whole bear? I can´t make Kuro to drag it all the way back to the city. He wouldn´t have let me ride on him for a month!”

 

Kame knew that the Blackfeet Tribe would use the fur and meat from the grizzly king more than well, especially when the winter was coming, and he was pleasantly surprised by the Jin´s gesture. He didn´t have to propose something like this. The Indians didn´t trust him, he had no reason for helping them out and even though he did... Jin was really an interesting man.

Kame looked back at silent Liwan, who wasn´t able to recover from the sudden offer yet.

“Well?” Jin raised his eyebrows. “You don´t want it?”

“No fun?” Liwan needed to be sure.

“No fun,” Jin confirmed.

Only then the Indian nodded his head.

“I appreciate it. I will bring my people here soon.”

“Fine.”

A short silence followed. Jin pretended to check the precious rifle, while Kame did quite an obvious gesture towards his friend.

“Uhm... Thank you,” Liwan overcame his pride and finally said it.

Jin raised his head with a very satisfied smile.

“You´re welcome.”

*

 

In the end, Liwan even helped them to finish the preparation of the grizzly head for taxidermy. He altered the edges of the cut and put it into the huge sac, which was powdered with the salt inside. That was supposed to protect the head against putrefaction.

All three of them cooperated on hiding the corpse into the natural hollow in the woods, covering it with many branches. The Indian promised he would bring the members of his tribe quickly and they would do the rest. Then Liwan said goodbye to both guys, nodding his head towards Jin in appreciation again and they were left alone.

Kame watched the figure of his friend, until he disappeared from their sight on the opposite site of the brook. Then he looked at Jin, who was carrying all their stuff, from the rifle to ax. And the bear´s head as well. Because of the sprinkled ankle, the older one let Kame have only the revolvers, even though he tried to argue with him. The better Kame got to know the young avenger, the more he liked him.

“I think that we can have that coffee finally, if you want,” he proposed, when they set off on the way back to the camp.

“You have no idea how much,” Jin reacted gratefully.

*

 

An alluring smell flying in the air made Jin even hungrier then he already was. They ate practically nothing since the previous evening and he almost couldn´t bear it anymore. He even envied to their horses, which were taken care of as usually.

But he had to admit, that the meal and coffee which Kame prepared for them, were definitely worth of that crazy hunting and waiting for it. With his stomach full and with the hot dark drink filling in his energy deficit, it felt really great to see the precious bag with the bear´s head put aside in the cave.

And the evening of the thrilling day came really fast...

 

The young hunters were sitting on one log near the fire, under the open sky this time, leaning on each other´s back. They didn´t see each other like that, but the more they perceived the presence of the other. And of course, it was more comfortable like that, having something solid behind. They didn´t even talk about it, they just did it and realized only after, how close they happened to be. But none of them wanted to change it.

“Did the Tribal Chief really tell you not to involve with me?” Jin asked all of the sudden.

Kame kept silent for a while and took a sip from the bottle of water first, before replying:  
“Yes. He said that I will get myself into troubles... And don´t ask me why I didn´t listen, I´ve already explained myself to you.”

“I didn´t want to ask about that,” there was the Jin´s reaction.

“Good.”

“But do I really seem so... Dangerous?” he asked uncertainly.

Kame laughed a little, so Jin felt the shaking of his body on the back.

“Sometimes,” the younger one admitted. “But you definitely _do_ dangerous things.”

“I´d rather not to do them,” Jin reacted almost sadly. “I didn´t think that I would end up like this. But after everything what happened...” the sentence ended unfinished.

One dry stick in their fire, which they kept quite big this time, cracked loudly. Kame moved his head a little, checking up on it and then he tried to see something from Jin´s face, but he was firmly turned forward, so he couldn´t see anything.

“You don´t have to talk about it if you don´t want to,” Kame said quietly.

“No,” there was an immediate response. “I think it´s my turn now.”

Jin put something out from his pocket and when Kame felt that he gulped down; he knew that it was definitely his flask with the mysterious alcohol.

“God, this is so good...” Jin mumbled and without moving anything else except his arm, he offered it to Kame across their shoulders.

Kame took it into his hand and had a little sip. It wasn´t that horrible as for the first time, but still...

“I will never get used to it,” he complained grinning.

“Not ever say never,” Jin said, taking the flask back.

A short silence followed, during which Jin leant back even more, relying on Kame´s support fully. The younger one did the same, so the balance was restored and it felt quite comfortable for both.

“We used to be quite poor,” Jin started in a quiet voice. “My father spent all savings on the search for gold. An unsuccessful search, of course,” he added bitterly. “He was very short-tempered, got angry easily, because of any tiny problem, and you can imagine what it was like in our household thanks to it. But it went even worse, when he finally brought home some money. It was when he started working for Karnaka...”

Kame stiffened hearing that.

“So, your father was one of Karnaka´s gunmen?” he asked, feeling the strange tension in his whole body.

“Yes...” Jin confirmed slowly. “I´m sorry I didn´t tell you about it before but...”

“You thought that I would judge you because of it?” Kame finished Jin´s thought.

Jin fidgeted a little, but kept leaning over Kame´s back.

“Yeah, something like that...”

“It was your father working for Karnaka,” Kame said quietly. “Not you.”

“I´m glad you take it like that...” Jin said with a relieved exhale. “Well, he changed after that. He was basically unendurable. Only after his death, I figured out that he was probably eating himself from inside out because of the guilt. He felt guilty about that job. And he wanted to drown it in alcohol. Then he usually got angry, came home and beat me up, because I was trying to protect my brother and mother in front of him...”

Jin was speaking in bitter and kind of disgusted tone.

“I don´t know what exactly he was doing for Karnaka, but it was nothing good. But my mother... Despite all of this... She still loved him. And she relied on him, she had to, he was still bringing money for food so... And then...”

Jin stopped talking for a while and took a long gulp of the stinky liquid.

“My mother suffered for so many years, trying to fulfill his each wish. Then she got sick, and she wasn´t able to serve him as usual and he... He accidentally killed her, when he was drunk. She fell on the corner of the table and hit her head...” Jin finished that sentence with his voice broken.

Kame was not able to find any words to react on something like that. He was just listening to Jin´s story with his face turned to the dark woods, feeling the warm of the fire on his right cheek, while Jin could see the dark shadows of their loyal horses in the cave on the other side and the fire was lighting his face from the left.

Jin bent his elbow and handed the precious flask over to the younger one again, touching his shoulder with it. When Kame reached for that killing liquid, his fingers touched Jin´s ones shortly and from some reason, it brought shivers into his stomach. He gulped down a little from the flask to push that strange feeling away. But it didn´t help, he felt Jin behind, leaning on him, even more significantly after that.

“He wasn´t able to deal with it,” Jin continued almost angrily. “And he killed himself after that. To be honest, I would have done it myself, if he didn´t. He was nothing but a wreck.”

Jin was telling the pure truth, Kame was sure about it. And even though Jin was speaking so hatefully about his own father, he couldn´t judge him.

“All of this remarked my brother. I couldn´t keep an eye on him all the time and he ran off eventually. I don´t even know where he is now. Till what happened with Pi, I put all the blame on my father. But after I had found my best friend hanging from the gallows... Unjustly condemned...” Jin´s voice was harsh and bitter. “I couldn´t do anything to help him. If only I didn´t leave the town then...”

Kame gave him the flask back and Jin drank from it immediately.

“I´m sorry for your mother and friend, Jin...” he said slowly.

“Thank you...” Jin gave the little bottle back to him once again and looked into the fire. “I have never seen him, but I hate him,” he stated after a while.

Even without a name, Kame knew very well, whom Jin had on his mind. He turned a little and Jin understood that he wanted to move, so he stopped leaning back. Kame sat straight towards the fire and turned his head to Jin.

“I do appreciate that you want to do something about all that shit, Jin,” he stated seriously.

The older one looked at him and Kame recognized the huge pain deep in his eyes.

“How can I do nothing about it? How can I let unpunished everything, what that fucker did?”

“It´s not like I think you should,” Kame shook his head a little. “What I mean that most of people rather shut up or run off. No matter how much injustice was caused to them. Nobody wants to involve into some bad things with Karnaka... Even I was too cowardly to do anything...” he finished bitterly.

“That´s not true!” Jin put his feet down from the log and turned to Kame hastily. “You´re not coward, Kame. It´s ridiculous to say something like that, especially after today. And you had good reasons for not going after Karnaka. You didn´t want to put your mother in danger. That´s completely understandable!”

“I know but...” Kame breathed out heavily. “Sometimes, I feel so angry at myself... It´s like I´m only looking for the excuses to keep myself out of troubles.”

Jin put his hand on Kame´s shoulder and squeezed him so hard that it made the younger one to look at him. Sinking into the dark orbs, Kame could see the small fires reflecting in them.

“We will make him pay together, all right?” Jin stated firmly. “For everything he ever did.”

Jin´s touch was pleasant, assuring and made almost all Kame´s depressing thoughts to go away like by a charm. They both intended to accomplish something very dangerous, but having the other on their side, it felt like they were able to do it no matter what.

Feeling a little better, Kame nodded his head slowly.

“We will...” he whispered.

The older one´s face brightened up with a smile and he looked so handsome in yellow light of the fire, that Kame held his breath for a second. He didn´t quite understand, just from where those feelings inside of him were coming.

Jin Akanishi was an attractive man; that was for sure, but still, Kame didn´t know him for that long to be influenced so much. It was not that he would not have heard about more than friendly issues between the two men. In truth, Kame actually knew about this topic quite a lot… Once he was a witness to an Indian ritual, which was supposed to ensure the success of buffalo hunting and the homosexual acts were almost inevitable part of it. Kame was quite confused about it, until Shaman explained to him that the Indian tribes consider the love relations between two men as something special. These persons were called the ´Two-Spirit´ individuals and in the shamans´ cases, it was even supposed to increase their powers and abilities to talk with the spirits.

So Kame took the men´s love as something natural from that time on. Only later he had found out, that in the world of white men, the homosexuality is considered as something sick, as some disease. And despite that, even Grenet was rumored to behave unusually as came for his relationships with men.

But it never crossed Kame´s mind that he would have found such an interest in the young newcomer. What Jin´s closeness awoke inside him was... So sudden, and Kame didn´t know how to deal with it.

He realized that Jin didn´t move with his hand away yet. His grip around Kame´s shoulder tightened instead and something appeared in the other´s eyes, something what made Kame feel... Hot.

Both guys were staring at each other, captured in the moment of connection, which didn´t let them to even blink.

As if he was caught up to something, suddenly Jin retreated from the younger one hastily and got up to add some wood to the fire. Kame gulped down heavily and only then he realized there was still Jin´s flask of home-made alcohol in his hand.

*

Jin threw some sticks into the hungry flames and watched the tiny sparkles to fly up before they disappeared. He heard his own heart beating heavily and felt the strange shivers in his stomach. Even though he wasn´t sitting next to Kame anymore, he still felt the warmness of the younger´s body, as if he was still touching him. He was confused from the feeling, which flooded him only moments ago.

Kame was too beautiful for a man, everybody could see it. And he was helping him a lot and Jin knew that he became his friend in no time. But... But that something what he felt inside, that urge to touch the other guy, to be close to him, that wasn´t something what he would expect. He didn´t feel anything like this over the years he was spending his time with Yamapi.

Jin liked the women´s company, he had already had a few of them in his bed and it was always more than a pleasant time. So it didn´t come on his mind, that he would have ever be attracted to a man. And despite that he was... It was hard to admit, but Jin knew that what he felt was the attraction towards the slim bartender. And it scared him. The relations between two men were not something what was accepted as normal in the world around them.

“Jin...”

The older one jerked his head towards the quiet voice.

“Here...” Kame was giving him his flask back, about which he completely forgot about for a moment. “You should save it for worse times...”

Jin avoided looking into Kame´s eyes, but he went back to the log.

“Thanks,” he took the flask from him so clumsily, that it almost fell down.

He rather drank from it right away, hoping that the liquid would make him feel a little calmer.

“I think...” Jin started.

“We should...” Kame spoke at the very same moment.

They looked at each other, their eyes connected again and then they laughed awkwardly. Jin scratched his head and slowly sat down beside the younger one again.

“Look, I propose to finish this,” he shook with the small bottle a little. “And go to sleep.”

“Agreed,” Kame nodded smiling.

Jin forced the flask back into his hand, and tried hard to ignore his tight throat.

 

Kame took a gulp from the rest of the alcohol without any arguments now. Despite the awful taste, he was grateful for the little flask that evening. If it wouldn´t be for the alcohol, which calmed him down somehow, he was quite sure he wouldn´t get any proper sleep at all.

He still felt a strange tension deep in his chest, when he and Jin prepared to go to sleep and he was able not to pay an attention to it only thanks to the calming dizziness.

They lay down next to each other again, but not so close as the previous evening, and with a wish of good night, they closed their eyes. Neither of them knew that a little distance between them would not be any help. They cuddled close to each other in their sleep without even knowing it.

***

 

Jin felt some faint pleasant fragrance in his nose and curious about what it was, he opened his eyes. And he found his face buried into the hair of the young bartender, who was sleeping peacefully right next to him. He immediately felt the blood flooding his face.

_What the hell? What was I doing in the night to be so close to him?_

Jin moved away guiltily and sat up. Calming himself down a little, he checked their surroundings and...

 

“Oh, no!”

Kame was woken up by a loud complaint. He moved and opened his eyes worried. Checking his left side, where he felt some movement, he found out that Jin put the blanket over his face.

“What is it?” he asked confused.

An unsatisfied mumble came from behind the cloth. Kame looked around and he figured out, what was the reason of Jin´s bad mood right in the morning. It was raining again.

He looked at the drops going down across the cave´s entrance and at the wet ashes, which was left from their campfire, before he couldn´t help it and started laughing.

Jin peeked out at him, pushing the blanket away a little.

“I have no idea what the hell you consider so funny about this ugly weather...” he stated insulted.

“You,” Kame reacted. “You are _incredible_.”

Jin sat up.

“I´m not sure if I should take is as a compliment or insult.”

“You can take it whatever you like,” Kame reacted calmly, glancing at the scruffy guy.

“That´s all right, then...” Jin rather didn´t solve the topic anymore.

The raining was creating a quiet sound of fizz all around, and the air was cold but fresh and felt nice. And it was so calm everywhere…

Jin sighed. It was a shame that their hunting trip came to its end...

Kame sat up too, with a worried expression.

“Jin? What is it? I didn´t mean it in a bad way, you know?”

“It´s not that...” the older one replied gloomily. “I just don´t want to go back yet...”

***

 

But they had to leave the peaceful forest, of course. Kame couldn´t stay wandering in the woods anymore. Mr. Harada was supposed to come back into the city the very next day and he needed to be there. And as for Jin, he had to present his gift as soon as possible, before it would become useless.

It took them a few hours of fast ride through the woods, even though they could use a shortcut instead of following the playful stream this time and they reached the old Kame´s home late in the afternoon. Kame showed Jin the hidden place for the rifles and they set off for the last part of their journey…

 

Kame stopped Ukushi right next to the huge oak, where they met almost a week ago and Jin noticing it made Kuro stop on the place, too. It was still raining slightly, but that could change into a pouring rain within minutes, considering the heavy clouds above them.

“We should go back separately,” Kame said quietly, with the wide hat on his head, covering his face with the dark shadow. “To keep any suspicions away, you know...”

“Yeah, of course,” Jin nodded, but couldn´t held back the disappointment from parting his way with Kame. “You go first. I´ll wait here for a while.”

“Are you sure?” Kame incited his mare to get closer to him. “I already know how much you dislike the rain,” he looked at the older one, shifting his hat back a little.

“Yes, I´ll be fine,” Jin reacted. “Somebody has to let me into my room anyway.”

“All right, thanks,” Kame nodded gratefully. “I think that if you wait for a half an hour, it will be enough.”

“Thank you once again, Kame...” Jin said seriously. “Without you, I think I would end up as a bear´s snack...”

“You´re welcome, Jin. Just be careful.”

“I will be...”

Kame moved his head in the last greeting and asked Ukushi to move by a gentle touch. Then Jin realized something suddenly and went after him hastily.

“Wait a second, Kame!”

“Yes?” Kame turned Ukushi a little back.

“Well, I know it´s a little stupid, but... What is your complete name?” Jin asked quite ashamed.

Kame was staring at him blankly for a few seconds, before his lips created an amused smile.

“I didn´t even realize you don´t know it...”

“Well, I did...” the older one shrugged. “Right now. So?”

“That´s a secret,” the young bartender replied calmly.

“What?” Jin exclaimed. “Come on, tell me!”

“And what for it?” the other one asked.

“You´re a blackmailer!” Jin snorted out.

“Only a small one,” Kame grinned innocently.

“Fine,” Jin huffed. “I will not ask for any more free drinks.”

“Never?” the bartender raised his eyebrow.

“Well...” Jin hesitated. “I will try. Hard.”

Kame laughed loudly.

“You´re honest, at least,” he said in the end. “It´s Kamenashi. Kazuya Kamenashi.”

“Kazuya...” Jin repeated the name quite surprised. “That´s nice... And it suits you.”

Kame fidgeted in his saddle. Almost nobody called him like that. Only his mother. But it wasn´t strange to hear it from the Jin´s mouth. On the contrary, it brought a nice feeling to him.

“Well, thank you. So... See you soon,” he said parting with Jin finally.

“See you!” Jin reacted and watched the younger one leaving towards the city.

 _Kazuya,_ he repeated for himself. Jin liked the way it sounded a lot. And he really didn´t understand, why he didn´t ask earlier about that...


	12. Troubles comeback

**U** kushi didn´t even needed to be led in the right direction; she headed her steps towards home all by herself. Kame usually let her stay in the stalls behind the saloon, but he built up a small cozy shed for her right next to their house as well.

He finally freed the noble mare from the saddle and let her rest there, hidden in front of the growing rain, which was beating on the roof harder with each passed minute. Kame fled into the house, escaping the unpleasant weather and the thought about Jin crossed his mind. The guy had to be really cold by this time...

The awesome scent of the freshly baked bread welcomed him right behind the door. Kame entered the kitchen with a surprised expression; Lena never baked the bread, she always whined it´s too difficult to make the right dough. It became clear to him right away - the person occupying the space near the stove wasn´t Lena, it was his mother.

Hearing his steps, Rosie turned her gray head and a happy smile made her pale face really beautiful at that moment.

“Kazuya, you´re home!” she welcomed her frowning son and squeezed his hand. “Are you hungry? I will cut a piece of bread for you.”

“How come you´re not in the bed, mother?” he asked, not paying any attention to her offer.

“I feel good today,” Rosie assured him and caressed Kazuya´s face lovingly. “You don´t have to be so worried about me all the time...”

Kame took the soft hand into his and placed a gentle kiss on it.

“I do,” he insisted. “You should...”

“No excuses this time,” his mother interrupted him firmly. “We will have a dinner together and then I will rest.”

Rosie pulled for his hand a little to make her son sit at the table, but she didn´t have the strength to force him to it. She was so weak...

“All right, we will,” Kame agreed, giving up on the argument for the moment. “But I will check the saloon first. I feel a little bad for leaving it without any supervision for so long.”

His mother´s expression changed into a worried one right away.

“Oh, that´s true, you should check it. The sheriff´s deputy was looking for you because of it.”

Kame froze on the spot hearing the words.

“Grenet was here?” he managed to ask through the suddenly anxiously tight throat. “Why? What happened?”

“Nothing serious, dear. He was just upset that it was closed. I suppose that he wanted to drink for a whole night as usually,” Rosie added with an obvious disagreement all over her face.

“Upset?” Kame repeated slowly. “Was he rude?”

“Don´t worry about it,” Rosie shook her head a little. “His behavior wasn´t any worse than usually...”

And that meant the deputy behaved as a cunt, Kame assumed, feeling the hint of anger deep inside. Grenet could have annoyed him, but he shouldn´t have bothered his mother. Who knows, maybe he was even cocky enough to break into the saloon without permission.

“Thanks for telling me, Mum. I will be back soon,” Kame promised and his mother nodded with a smile again.

“I will wait for you.”

*

 

Fortunately, when Kame got to the place, everything seemed fine. The stalls were closed and the locks and wooden crossbars untouched on the both saloon´s entrances. Calmed down, but still worried about Grenet being able to do anything for a stupid drink, he turned away from the front door, prepared to rush back to his mother to eat something, before Jin would appear in the town too, when a quite angry voice stopped his steps on the veranda.

“So... Our pretty face is back finally, huh?”

Kame followed the direction from where the voice was coming and not surprised spotted Grenet in the dark blue coat coming through the heavy rain right to the saloon, accompanied by four of his gunmen. The man didn´t look like he wanted to welcome Kame back at all. Otherwise the street was empty; the rain kept the citizens inside their homes.

The group reached the veranda quickly and came up to Kame before he could have even reacted, blocking his way.

“Good evening,” Kame said coldly. “What do you want?”

“What do I want?” the sheriff´s deputy repeated sardonically. “I want some drink, you dumbass. And I didn´t have it for almost a week already, so being in your shoes, I´d rather hurry up and open the bar.”

Kame was quite tired after the journey from the woods, still pissed off and wasn´t in the mood for Grenet´s wishes.

“I´m pretty sure that you can read, Grenet,” he reacted provocatively. “And like that you might have noticed the lettering behind me. It says the bar _is closed_.”

The man stepped closer to the young bartender. So close that it felt uncomfortable, but Kame didn´t intend to step back.

“I _did_ notice that,” Grenet hissed. “But I guess you can make an exception, right?” he said with an obvious warning in his voice.

“ _Closed_ means, that the saloon is closed for everyone,” Kame explained in a tone which he would have used for a five-year-old kid.

“I´ve just given you a friendly piece of advice, pretty face, but obviously you don´t get it.”

Kame noticed the other four men stepping aside, so that they blocked his way away completely. But it didn´t scare him.

“I´m just following my superior´s orders,” he informed the smirking deputy.

“I´m sure our dear Harada would have let me in,” Grenet objected imperiously.

Kame had quite enough of that stupid conversation already.

“And I´m sure he told me not to let _anyone_ inside. You´re nobody special, Grenet,” he spitted out scornfully.

The deputy grabbed the bartender for the shoulders roughly and swiped with him towards the wall. He pressed him there painfully and leant with his face so close, that Kame could feel the deputy´s breath stinking after many cigarettes.

“I think you´ve became quite haughty, baby boy. I´m telling you for the last time - open the bar for us.”

Kame looked into the eyes shining with anger and felt disgusted. It would have been better for him to obey as always, or to explain Grenet that there was almost no alcohol inside anyway, but after that week in the forest he couldn´t do it anymore. Not after what was told between Jin and himself. This was over the edge for Kame. It was enough; he wasn´t Grenet´s servant and he was determined not to behave like one.

“No,” he stated fearlessly. “And now let me go.”

Grenet´s eyes narrowed in a dangerous way.

“You want to go back to your poor sick Mamma? I don´t think so...”

Right in the next moment, Kame was hit into the stomach roughly, which stole his breath away, making him to bend over. A short wave of darkness came across his vision.

At first, when he noticed the fast move of the Grenet´s hand, he wanted to defend himself. He knew that he was able to. He didn´t spend the long hours of physical training with other young guys from the Blackfeet Tribe for nothing. But the cruel knowledge of the fact, that if he had done it, everything would have been even worse, made him to stay motionless and defenseless. That one sentence, in which the deputy mentioned his mother on purpose, forced Kame to do nothing. He couldn´t have brought that fucker´s anger on his mother.

“You should learn how to behave, baby boy,” Kame heard Grenet´s voice and the next hard hit on the back of his neck made him to fall down on his knees. His ankle screamed in protest for such a treatment and his hat disappeared somewhere under the boots of Grenet´s men.

The deputy grabbed the bartender for the hair and pushed his head up, bringing the tears of pain into Kame´s eyes.

“You´re too young to be so cocky, you know,” Grenet lectured him arrogantly. “It seems to me, that you were missing the man´s hand during your childhood. Isn´t that right, boys? We will teach him a lesson, right?”

Kame reached up his hands and tried to relieve himself from the painful grip, but he was rewarded only with another pain, when Grenet kicked him hard into the stomach again.

This time Kame really couldn´t catch his breath again, he couldn´t even see, the pain was too binding.

“You little asshole... Let´s see how much you will hold on. Maybe we should refine that cute face of yours a little. What do you say?”

Kame said nothing, still blinded by the lack of air. So he didn´t notice who arrived to the saloon at that moment. And he didn´t see what caused the unexpected loud thud on the desks.

“Hey, what the fuck!?” the voice of one of Grenet´s guys was heard.

The grip in his hair loosened then and Grenet let him go. Kame leant on his hands, trying to get his senses together.

“Well, well, well, who do we have here?” the deputy joined into welcoming the new figure on the scene.

Kame raised his head and he looked between the legs of the standing men down to the street. Through the blurred vision he recognized the horse, which was standing there, right away.

“What the hell is this, Akanishi?” Grenet asked pointing out at the huge sac, which landed right next to them and interrupted Kame´s ´lesson´.

The newcomer dismounted from his horse, coming closer.

“Why don´t you check it up yourself, Grenet?” Jin proposed.

The young gunslinger was standing there, the wet drops dripping from the hem of his hat, boots and trousers dirty from the mud, but he seemed not to care about the ugly weather at all. Jin looked calm, but Kame noticed the forcefully restrained anger in his voice.

He sat up carefully, while Grenet gestured to one of his companions to lift the bag up and check the inside of it. He caught the glance from Jin, who checked on him shortly. The older one´s hands were hidden in the deep pockets of his coat, and the dangerous shine in his eyes was telling Kame that Jin was trying hard to keep on his self-control.

With a painful exhale, Kame leant back to the wall, not able to get up on his feet yet. Jin came back right into the scene he didn´t want him to see... All of their cover and efforts would have been wasted, if the older one lost it and attacked Grenet.

“Holy crap!” the man holding the heavy bag almost let it go. “Boss, look!”

Grenet checked the thing, which his companion presented him and his eyes went wide, seeing the huge muzzle of a grizzly bear...

*

When Jin spotted the scene at the saloon´s veranda, the sudden anger almost took over the control of his actions. He forgot about everything for a while. About being cold and tired, about his revenge and everything he had done to achieve it so far. Seeing Kame in pain and not doing anything to prevent him from it; that was an unbearable idea.

Only in the last second, Jin prevented himself from pulling his revolver out and put a proper bullet into that fucker´s head. Instead, he did the first thing which he could have thought about. He grabbed the sac, which was attached to the saddle behind him and threw it towards the group on the veranda, as soon as it was in his reach.

Maybe it wasn´t the best idea of all, he could have caused some damage to the so hardly achieved head, but he couldn´t care less. And it fulfilled its purpose. It caught the sheriff´s deputy attention and stopped him from hurting the beautiful bartender.

Now, Kuro was stalling nervously, feeling his master´s anger. Jin was clenching his palms into the firm fists in the pockets, hidden from the looks of everyone. He watched the surprised faces of Grenet and his underlings, waiting for their reaction, and at the same time he was well aware of Kame sitting behind them on the wooden board, breathing heavily.

Finally, Grenet pierced Jin with his eyes, not being able to cover the surprise from the thing, which the man on his right was holding.

“That was fast,” he said with an awful smirk. “Did you find it already dead?”

“No,” Jin said sharply. “I shot it down yesterday.”

“Is that so?” Grenet reacted in a very offensive way.

“Yes,” he confirmed, not allowing himself to react much more rudely, as he would like to.

“It´s huge...” one of the capers huffed obviously impressed, showing the head to the others.

“That´s quite impressive for a greenhorn,” the deputy stated still grinning.

Jin said absolutely nothing and just repaid the gaze of the deputy.

“So... I guess you´d like to hand it over soon,” Grenet spoke after a few seconds.

“Of course,” Jin confirmed coldly.

“Fine. Tomorrow morning, in front of the sheriff´s office. Be there,” Grenet ordered. “I guess it´s about time to introduce you... Give it back to him,” he added, looking at his man.

The man obeyed and brought the sac back to Jin, who didn´t even glance at him. He was paying all the attention to Grenet, who turned back to Kame and crouched down. Jin was watching his every move, when the deputy caught Kame´s chin into his hand roughly.

“As for you, baby boy, take this as a warning. Do _not_ try to piss me off, get it?”

Kame kept silent, but he wasn´t looking at Grenet. Jin had a good idea of why not. In his eyes, it could have been seen clearly, that he was not scared off. But Grenet understood it in the opposite way and let the bartender go finally, got up and gestured his companions.

“Let´s go,” he ordered. “I think that our dear sheriff has at least one or two bottles of whiskey in his _secret_ resources.”

His men agreed willingly and left the veranda, one after another.

“Wanna go with us, Akanishi?” Grenet stopped by him, moving his hat more into his face.

Jin was lacing the sac with the bear´s head very carefully, focused on the task, pushing away the urge to spit into that fucker´s face. He just shook his head.

“I´m quite tired, I will go to get some rest.”

“All right, I´m sure that our little baby boy up there will let you in now,” the deputy informed him with an arrogant smile and left the scene, with his capers following him as a group of chickens.

Jin eased up only when they disappeared from his sight. He patted Kuro and stepped up onto the veranda at the very moment, when Kame was getting up. He reached out to help him, but Kame refused it.

“I´m fine,” he said with his head lowered.

Jin observed the younger one carefully, still fighting with anger.

“Are you sure?” he asked worried.

“Yeah... Let´s go, I will open the stalls for you,” Kame left the support of the wooden wall, evaded Jin and went off the veranda. But Jin noticed how carefully he walked, and Kame´s pose was revealing that he was still in pain, and limping again, as well. But saying nothing, Jin led Kuro to the same stable as before, put the saddle away, and then he followed Kame to the back entrance of the saloon.

“I will leave the key with you,” the younger guy said, when they stepped inside the dark corridor. “Lock the door before you go to sleep.”

Jin put his stuff under the stairway first, before going after him.

“Because of Grenet?” he asked looking at Kame´s back, as they walked to the bar counter, where was placed the shelf with the small box, which was hiding the keys from the rooms.

“Yes,” Kame confirmed quietly and took one of the chairs to step onto it, as the shelter was quite high. But Jin pushed him away from it gently.

“I will do it,” the older one said in the voice, which didn´t leave any space for arguments.

Kame just nodded and with the hand across his stomach, he led Jin to the wall and pointed at one box: “That one...”

Jin went up with the help of the chair, took the box and going down again, he caught up Kame making a painful expression and leaning over the counter.

“Why did that bastard do this to you?” he asked. “Just because you didn´t want to let him in?”

Kame focused his eyes at Jin.

“Yes, exactly because of that,” he spitted out hatefully. “He was even at our house before, bothering my mother with that.”

“Son of a bitch,” Jin stated. “One beautiful day I will kick his ass, really.”

“You have no idea how much I´d like to join you...” Kame breathed out, and he sounded quite depressed. He approached closer then and opened the box, which the older one put at the counter.

Jin looked at his disheveled hair and remembered the hand which squeezed them so hard only minutes ago and an urge to prevent anything like that from happening again in the future flooded him from head to toes.

“Is there anything I can do for you?” he asked quietly. “Will you make it home yourself?”

 “Don´t worry, Jin,” Kame managed to smile a little. “I will be fine, really. Just make sure the back door is locked,” he reacted and reached out his hand with the key. “This one belongs to your room.”

Jin caught it with a thankful nod, touching Kame´s fingers slightly. And he almost flinched back surprised from the electrifying feeling it brought to him. Kame moved his eyes away hastily, closed the box again and went to the chair, before Jin could have prevented him from doing that.

“Wait, Kazuya! You don´t have to...”

With obvious problems Kame already stepped onto it and put the box back on the place. But going down again, he stepped hard on his sprinkled ankle, lost his balance and staggered. Jin reacted fast and caught the younger one firmly around the waist with one arm, giving him his support. Kame leant onto Jin´s chest.

“I´ve told you I will do it, you just don´t listen,” Jin reproached to him softly.

Kame felt completely safe in the older guy´s hold and at the same time nervous as hell. His heart was beating heavily and his throat was narrow, when he looked up and their eyes met again.

“Thanks,” he managed to get across his lips, the whole body tense.

“You´re welcome,” Jin´s voice wasn´t completely calm either.

Being so close to each other, it felt like they could leave the rest of the world somewhere outside of their own... Neither of them moved for a long moment, practically immobilized by this feeling.

It was Kame who came back into the reality first. He straightened himself and created distance between them, so Jin pulled his hand back. He put both of them into the pockets again, not wanting Kame to notice that they were shaking.

“Next time he touches you, I will rip his head off,” he murmured deeply and turned away.

An unexpected statement surprised Kame a lot. And he felt that he should say something too. He caught Jin for an arm, stopping him from going away.

“I appreciate that,” he stated seriously. “But promise me that you will be careful tomorrow, Jin... You will be going right into the snake´s nest. Karnaka can be even more dangerous than a grizzly.”

The handsome face turned serious and the other guy nodded.

“I know... I will be.”

“Fine,” Kame reacted.

But it was not fine at all. Kame felt really bad about letting Jin go alone to Karnaka. But there was nothing he could do to prevent it or to make sure about his safety. So he released his grip around the firm elbow.

“Good luck and... See you later.”

“Yeah,” Jin just nodded. “And you... Take care about yourself.”

Then the older one went away to pick up his stuff together with the head, which almost cost them more than just the bullets; while Kame headed out of the building to return home finally. And the way through the pouring rain took him twice as much time than usually.

***

 

Quite early in the next morning, Kame got surprised by a knocking at the door and an unexpected visitor behind them. The small boy raised his healthy hand for a greeting, accompanied with a wide smile.

“Mike? What are you doing here?”

“Mr. Harada sent me for you,” the boy explained. “He asks you if you can come and help him with the supplies we brought.”

“Of course, right away,” Kame nodded and took his coat from the hook.

Following Mike to the street, which was again full of mud, he looked at the boy questioningly.

“But what are you doing here so early? I expected you sometimes in the afternoon. Did you ride during the night?”

“No,” the boy shook his head. “We just broke the wheel right in front of Livingston and we had to stay there overnight. Otherwise, we would have been back yesterday.”

“Oh, that´s how it is...” Kame reacted, thinking that not being for something so trivial; he could spare some troubles on the previous day.

When they reached the saloon, Harada had already prepared the narrow cart for moving the barrels with beer and the thick boxes with various alcohols inside to the cellar. Kame handed over the key from the front door to its owner, greeting him politely.

They were in the middle of discharge, during which Kame had a hard time to cover the pain he felt in his stomach muscles, when the loud sound of many hooves reached them.

“Isn´t this a great morning!”

It wasn´t a voice about which Kame would be happy to hear. He stopped moving the barrel and looked up from the carriage, he was standing in. In all his majesty, Grenet on his horse was talking to Harada, who was giving some fresh water to the horses, which had to wait for them being done with storing all supplies.

“One of the most important persons of our city is back!” the sheriff´s deputy continued, while five other gunmen and a certain black-haired guy reached the place too,

 _So they are already setting off..._ Kame tore his eyes from them and continued his task, while Harada observed the whole group.

“That´s nice of you to welcome me like this, Grenet,” he said calmly. “How did I deserve this?”

“Well, you don´t have to deserve it. Simply the fact that we finally have something to drink is enough,” Grenet laughed loudly, but changed his expression right away. “But unfortunately, I have to say that Mr. Karnaka won´t be pleased by my report this time, Harada.”

“And why is that?” the saloon´s owner asked, still composed.

“Your bartender was very impolite to me yesterday. I think I will have to make a complaint,” Grenet informed him.

Kame pretended not hearing it. Harada raised his eyebrows.

“What happened? If he didn´t want to let you into the saloon, it was because I told him not to do it.”

“It´s not only that,” the deputy reacted pompously. “He was rude; you should talk with him about his behavior to your regular customers, Harada.”

“Oh, really? I will then.”

“Good. Have a good day,” Grenet wished him so falsely, that it made Kame sick.

He also felt Grenet´s gaze at himself, but he didn´t care, he had a lot to do with focusing on his job.

“Let´s go! I want to be on the place before lunch!” the deputy stated and buried his heels into the horse´s flanks.

Kame looked up again only when Grenet turned over the corner of the street, his men following him. And at the same moment, somebody led his black horse to the carriage. He turned his head and ended up looking into the warm dark orbs.

“Hi,” Jin greeted him quietly. “Here you go,” he threw something small at him, and catching it, Kame found out it was the key from the back door. “Thanks for borrowing.”

Kame just nodded. They were looking at each other for mere three seconds, before Jin incited his Kuro gently and rode off behind the group. Kame followed the older one´s figure with his eyes, until it disappeared behind the post office and then he turned to Mr. Harada, who was watching him closely.

“Sir, what Grenet said is...”

“You will explain everything to me later, Kame,” his employer said calmly. “Now, we have to finish this.”

*

 

The group of horse riders left Bozeman City and headed to the north first, but after that their way changed almost directly to the east. Jin knew that Karnaka´s mansion is situated on the foot of the Bridger Canyon, so the Rocky Mountains stayed behind their backs, while they were approaching much lower and smaller in range, although not less impressive mountains.

It took them only two hours of slow trot to get into the area full of fields, which were definitely treated by a human hand. Jin saw some wheat fields, already empty, a lot of corn ones, which were so wide, it felt like you couldn´t see the end of it, and to his surprise even some sunflowers, although it was already after their main season.

And there was also one thing, which made Jin frown in disapproval. He spotted some black figures on those fields - the slaves.

It was already many years ago, when the slavery was abolished. The States reached this important point in their history after a very bloody conflict. But still... There were still the people who didn´t respect that.

It was said that the negros are staying at Karnaka´s lands voluntarily and that they are being paid off. It was even checked by the government soldiers. But Jin didn´t believe it.

Raynold Karnaka had enough money to corrupt anyone. And when it came to the black people, the white ones always prioritized some convenient income in front of their welfare.

But soon Jin had to push the useless thoughts about poor black nation away, because a huge white mansion appeared at the end of their way...

They reached their goal - Karnaka´s mansion. Jin took a deep breath, when they slowed down and approached the guards in front of the massive gate.

It was way too late to step back now. He has to keep going forward, no matter what expected him behind those walls. He has to face the man he hated, the man who brought a lot of misery in his and also Kazuya´s life.

But there was something, what made Jin feel a little better. And it was a knowledge that Kame was waiting for him to come back...


	13. Karnaka´s residence

**A** tall ply clock made of walnut wood standing in the corner of the room was creating the loud ticking noise, which would be considered as very annoying by most of the people. It reminded to everyone around, that the time just keeps going forward, shortening the each human´s life constantly and that it will never stop. But this steady sound had a kind of calming effect on the man sitting in the comfortable satin armchair near the window.

The human beings created that beautiful inanimate object, which didn´t care about anything, not even about itself, to measure the time. How foolish it was from them. To exhibit the proof of their short lives´ insignificance like that. They thought they would have dominated the time with it and the very opposite was true. The clocks made from all people their personal slaves.

Raynold Karnaka was not afraid of the ticking sound. He was well aware of his past years without any reminder. But he was also persuaded that he used his own time the best he could. And he intended to do the same with the rest of it, too.

One of his many servants was responsible for keeping the ply clock in motion all the time. He was the most reliable Karnaka´s subordinate and he also supervised the rest of stuff. This servant´s name was Cameron and he knew him since the time he was only a fourteen-year-old orphaned brat, who tried to rob him once. Now Cameron was already over forty and his hair was only a little less gray then his own. He had stayed by Raynold´s side for more than twenty-six years and the man probably knew him better than he knew himself.

Cameron dressed in the white shirt and dark brown trousers approached his master silently and offered him a plate with his regular morning dosage of Scotch whiskey. It was better than any medicine. Raynold had been keeping this habit for many years and he was quite sure, that exactly thanks to it he had hardly ever needed a doctor.

The lord of the white mansion took the glass without even looking at it, he smelled to odor coming from the liquid and gulped it down in one smooth go. He put the empty glass back on the waiting plate and closed his eyes.

“Anything special for today?” he asked in a low voice.

Cameron was more than prepared for the question and started to inform Karnaka about the latest news.

“We have already started with the late corn harvest, as you ordered, sir. Since that last incident, none of our patrols spotted any redskin on your lands. The servant, whom you punished yesterday, is still kicking to the walls, so with your permission, I would like to leave her in the cell for one more day.”

After this sentence, the servant stopped talking and waited for his master agreement in the form of a short nod, before continuing with his report.

“Also, I was just informed that Math Grenet arrived.”

The last information caught Karnaka´s attention as he opened his eyes and focused them at Cameron.

“Did he bring that newbie with him?”

“Yes, sir,” Cameron confirmed shortly.

“Good. Bring me only Math for now, I want to talk to him first.”

*

“Good morning, sir,” Math greeted the powerful man politely, taking the hat down from his head.

He was cruel, selfish and cocky; which everybody around knew except Math himself; but he wasn´t stupid. He knew very well how to behave in front of his boss. He learnt to beware of the boundaries, which were not allowed to cross quite quickly after he started working for Raynold Karnaka.

“Come in and sit down,” Mr. Karnaka pointed at the chair standing opposite to his armchair strictly.

And Math obeyed, while that creepy servant closed the door of the luxurious room and then moved to stand by his master´s side as usually.

“So, what can you tell me about that newbie?” the old man asked after his subordinate took a seat.

Grenet settled himself comfortably, putting one leg across the knee of the other one, letting his whole back rest in the chair, and started to talk after a short pause, when he reconsidered everything what he wanted to say.

“He´s twenty-three and he came here from Billings,” he spoke finally, with the hands crossed over his chest. “He had been living there since he was ten years old. Both of his parents are already dead. I´m not sure about his mother, but his father shot himself into the head. His younger brother has been missing for almost two years now. I have no response yet, but I sent the telegram to Trent to find out any more details about him. He was not in the city, when Brad was searching for the information there. As for what he is like...” Math went on to the next topic, while both his boss and the servant were watching him silently. “He is arrogant, naive and he seems to be stupid to me from time to time. But on the other hand, he is a great rider and shooter with big potential. And also, he´s brought you a certain gift...”

“A gift?” Karnaka raised his eyebrow. “What is it?”

“Grizzly bear´s head,” Math informed him. “And excuse my language, sir, but a fucking big one. He hunted it down in less than two weeks. I think he can be very useful under the right lead.”

The master of the house nodded his head slowly.

“Fine. You know I trust your judgment, Math.”

“Thank you, sir, I appreciate that.”

“What was his name again?”

“Jin Akanishi, sir.”

“Akanishi...” Karnaka repeated slowly. “I think I´ve already heard this name... Cameron? Does it say something to you? Didn´t any Akanishi already work for me before?”

“I think you´re right, sir,” his servant reacted. “I would like to check our records, if you please...”

“Yes, go and bring it,” Karnaka sent him away and returned his sharp glance to Math. “Anything else about him?”

“Well, as every other youngster he thinks a lot about himself, but it won´t be hard to teach him the right manners,” Grenet stated confidently.

“I will talk to him in person first and let him in your hands then...” his boss closed the newbie topic for that moment. “What about the Indians? Any troubles in the city?”

“Not so much. I just had to remind one redskin that Bozeman is not the place for his demands, but no big issues, sir.”

“Good. It seems that they finally understood,” Karnaka reacted only in a little deeper voice than before and still it made Grenet to sit with his back straight. “Anything else?”

“Actually yes, sir,” Math nodded. “You told me to keep an eye over that pretty face Kamenashi...”

“And? Any issues?” Karnaka asked in the same calm way as always.

“I think that he forgot where his place is, sir. He is standing up against me more often now. Not willing to be helpful, defending those dirty Indians from Blackfeet Tribe and stuff like this. There were never problems with him, but recently his behavior has changed. I´ve already given him a lesson, but I think it´s not enough so...” Math let the sentence unfinished.

“I see,” Mr. Karnaka focused his eyes out of the window for a while, thinking about something, before he spoke again. “You´ve got my permission to do anything what it takes to keep him obedient. If he causes any bigger fuss, report it to me immediately.”

“Of course, sir, as you wish,” Grenet nodded with a slight smile curving his lips, quite satisfied with the decision. “Should I remind him who is he supposed to be grateful to?”

“Not bad idea, Math. He is alive only thanks to my good will. If he doesn´t realize this favor, you will make him remember it.”

A very awful smirk appeared on Grenet´s face hearing those words.

“No problem, sir.”

“Great. Now go and bring that Akanishi here.”

“Right away, sir,” Math stood up immediately and in the door he almost rushed into Cameron, who was just going back inside.

“So? Did you find anything?” Karnaka focused on his most loyal servant, when Math disappeared in the hall.

Cameron was holding the thick record book with leather binding.

“Yes, as I thought, my lord...” the servant went closer and opened the book. “A certain Akanishi was working for you since the year 1871 till 1875. He was very quick-tempered, but able to do what he was asked for. He had two sons, so that matches with the information we have from Grenet. And there´s something interesting...”

“Yes?” Raynold was looking only at his servant, not paying any attention to the records book.

“He was a member of the group which was supposed to take care of Kamenashi family. It was one of his very first jobs.”

Raynold Karnaka leant into the satin armchair, showing only a small surprise at his face.

“Well, that´s indeed interesting. I´m even curious about this greenhorn now...”

*

Jin was nervous and he was trying hard to cover it.

Grenet let him wait in the company of his gunmen at the east side of the huge house, where the temporary shelter for the horses of visitors was built. Jin had heard some gossip about Karnaka´s Mansion, but he didn´t even imagine it to be that big.

The front of the house was dominated by the two pillars supporting the balcony, which was a part of the second floor. Many tall windows indicated that there was definitely enough space for an army inside. The walls were of pure white color, while the window frames were black. On the dark grey roof the two chimneys could be seen and the garden around the whole building was simply gorgeous.

Jin had never seen a bigger and more beautiful house in his life and it impressed him a lot, even though he would have never admitted it aloud. But also, under this beautiful surface, much more hideous things were hiding, as hard work of the black slaves and money obtained in very ugly ways. Money covered with blood of innocent people and of those not so innocent as well.

The young avenger pulled the grim of his hat lower, covering to himself the view at the three slaves who were cutting the grass a few meters away from them. He turned away and approached his horse slowly. Jin intended to check up on the whole Karnaka´s property later, anyway. The observation could wait for the moment…

Kuro was obviously much calmer than his master, watching him with the warm dark orbs. Jin leant over the thick pole, which served as the footing for all horses´ reins, and pulled a small apple out of his pocket, offering it to his loyal friend.

It was nice to feel a soft touch of Kuro´s muzzle, when he took the sweet snack from his opened palm, chewing on it only for a moment, before he gulped it down. Jin smiled, when Kuro reached closer to him for a caress, which he gave to the stallion without hesitation, stroking the side of his head. And the unpleasant tightness in his stomach and throat eased up a little with each movement.

Jin´s smile went wider, when he realized that he felt much better.

„Thanks,” he whispered into Kuro´s ear inaudibly, so that the Grenet´s capers standing nearby couldn´t hear it.

The horse shook its head a little, so that its harness clinked. It was a clear ´ _you´re welcome_ ´ to Jin.

“Akanishi!“ a loud calling cut through the air.

Jin patted Kuro for one last time and turned away to face Grenet with a calm expression.

“You can go inside now,” Grenet informed him with his usual smirk, when he came to the group. “But leave your guns with Brad here first.“

Jin hesitated only for a moment. Of course they wouldn´t have let him go in front of Karnaka with his revolvers, that would have be too easy.

“I´m sure you understand that our boss must be careful,” Grenet watched him closely, when Jin gave the weapons away involuntarily into the mentioned man´s possession.

“Of course,” he shrugged. “It´s logical. I bet that he has a lot of enemies...“

“Trying to be smart, greenhorn? Don´t do that in front of Mr. Karnaka,” Grenet recommended him scornfully. “Take that stupid head of yours and let´s go.”

Jin knitted his eyebrows a little before he realized that Grenet meant the bear´s head and not his own...

*

The interior of the house was not that impressive as the outside of it. But it was clear that Karnaka spends his precious golden coins only in case that it´s worth of it. Grenet led Jin through the huge but sparingly decorated hall, then into the long corridor and stopped in front of one door. He knocked at them shortly and went in without waiting for invitation.

Jin took a deep breath and followed him inside, into the lion´s mouth, where they were expected by the lion itself. He went forward, determined not to show off his emotions, which were shaking within his body. Grenet closed the door behind him and remained standing next to them.

Jin tightened the grip around the sac in his left hand and with his right he took the hat down.

“Good morning, sir,” he greeted, thankful for being able to keep his voice steady, but avoided to look at the grey-haired man in the armchair directly.

Jin was afraid he might have revealed himself, that he would not be able to keep a low profile. He was so tempted to take Grenet´s revolver and start shooting right away, when he finally got so far... But he had to wait; he had to be patient. When Grenet could have brought a weapon inside, it meant that it was possible to earn Karnaka´s trust to do it. But that needed time…

“Come closer, boy.”

Raynold Karnaka´s voice was deep, serious and very composed. It was filled with experiences of age and with power, which the man was well aware of. It almost made Jin to lower his head in front of such an authority.

He moved the three steps forward, and stopped in front of the simple table, on which a plate with the empty glass and some thick book were put. Jin observed the tall man behind Karnaka shortly, before letting his eyes meet with the old man´s glance finally. A strange shiver ran down his spine, when that happened. Despite many years, which were lying on the man´s shoulders, his eyes were lively, dark and kind of... Scary. Even though Jin was standing and Karnaka sitting under his level, he felt inferior to the older man immediately. And he hated that feeling.

But a picture of his best friend´s body bobbing from the rope came across Jin´s mind suddenly and it helped him not to avoid the piercing stare of other one. He repaid it firmly and waited for next words.

Karnaka kept silent for a long moment, just observing the youngster and probably judging him.

“So... Jin Akanishi, right?” he broke the silence finally.

“Yes, sir,” Jin confirmed and he was almost surprised to hear his own voice to be calm and without emotions.

“I was informed that you brought some gift to me...”

“That´s right,” Jin reacted and reached out his left hand with the precious sac. “And here it is. I´d like you to consider it as my introduction gift. I´d have appreciated, if you had added it to your collection, which is wide known all around.”

“Cameron...” Karnaka said and reacting on that, the man behind his sitting place moved to take the bag over from Jin.

The servant opened the sac first, before showing it to Karnaka. Jin was trying to recognize their reactions, but the expressions of both men were unreadable. Raynold Karnaka only raised his eyebrows slightly, but otherwise his calm face didn´t show anything what would have suggested to Jin, what the man thought about it.

Then Karnaka moved his eyes on Jin again, while Cameron tightened the string around the sac.

“You hunted it down yourself?” the old man asked and Jin nodded.

“Yes. But I was lucky; the bear was sick and his mind wasn´t clear. It was easier to take it down like this.”

“Good job, anyway,” Karnaka said. “I have no such a big trophy in my collection yet. I accept it, boy.”

Despite the light feeling of sickness from the way that man was talking to him, Jin knew how to react.

“Thank you, sir.”

Maybe it was only because Jin needed to feel more at ease, so he was imagining it, but it seemed as if Karnaka´s expression became less strict after his words.

“So… Why do you want to join my men, Akanishi?” that was the next Karnaka´s question.

“I´d like to earn good money.”

“And how do you know that you will achieve that in my service?”

Jin opened his mouth to respond and he felt a sudden hunch, that he should rather tell the truth. It was only a feeling that this question was dangerous for him, but from his past experiences he knew it was always better to listen to his instincts.

“Everybody within a few miles around knows that you appreciate your loyal subordinates very well. And also... My father was working for you a few years ago, and we were never hungry since the moment he started working for you.”

“Is that so? And why doesn´t he work for me anymore?”

“He is already dead,” Jin reacted shortly.

“How did he die?” Karnaka asked coldly.

Jin responded after a short pause this time: “He shot himself, sir.”

“Suicide, then? That´s feckless...”

“I´m not my father,” Jin stated, not being able to cover that those words pissed him off.

Raynold Karnaka was observing his face for a while, before nodding his head.

“Good. And how do you imagine your work for me?”

“Of course that I will follow your orders, sir,” Jin replied.

“In anything?”

Jin kept his mouth shut this time and just nodded.

“We will see then... Math, show him the lands,” his new employer spoke to the man at the door. “I want him to join the watches for the start, since this evening. Consider yourself as my subordinate from now on, Akanishi.”

“I won´t disappoint your trust, sir,” Jin declared in a serious tone, but he lowered his glance to the floor saying that.

“We will see...” Karnaka repeated and showed him out with a haughty gesture.

*

“Cameron,” Raynold Karnaka turned to his servant, after the door closed behind Math and the new member of his gunmen. “Keep an eye on him. He was telling the truth, but I feel that he is hiding something.”

“Yes, my lord, I will,” Cameron assured his master. “You can rely on me.”

***

 

Kame felt like a cat on the hot bricks. Since the morning, when he saw the group of riders leaving the city, he was not able to focus on anything properly.

During his explanation to Mr. Harada about what happened the other day with Grenet, he felt really stupid, when he caught himself apologizing for the third time, that he caused to the saloon´s owner the unnecessary troubles. Lena got upset, when he didn´t listen to her while preparing the lunch. His mother was watching him worriedly, when he forgot to remind her to take the pills as he always did and when the evening came and he started his usual job, he almost broke the two glasses, when he made a sudden move following the swinging door´s opening.

Kame was trying hard to stay calm, but with each past hour, he was only tenser. Not to mention the full saloon he had to serve. The news about the re-opening of the local pub spread out fast. Even Mr. Harada helped him a little to manage all orders and that didn´t happen for a very long time.

But Kame was simply unable to chase the worried thoughts from his head away.

_Who knows what can happen to Jin at Karnaka´s place? What if Grenet was too suspicious after all, and interrogated him instead of the journey there?_

It was Jin´s decision, his choice and risk, Kame knew that and he also knew that the black-haired gunslinger wouldn´t have betrayed him, but still... Every time someone entered the saloon, Kame´s eyes glued to the person, hoping that it would be the handsome guy.

It was shortly after dinner time, when somebody finally came back from the morning trip, but it wasn´t to Kame´s relief, more like the opposite. His stomach made a terrified somersault, when he noticed the sheriff´s deputy entering the saloon with his gunmen behind and that Jin was not with them...

Kame lowered his head down to the glasses before anyone could have noticed his reaction. He took a few of deep breaths, trying to keep himself calm, while Grenet´s group literally threw the two old men from their favorite table in the corner, settling themselves there noisily.

It didn´t have to mean anything. So Jin didn´t come back with them and...? He could be in the stalls. Or he had to stay at Karnaka´s place, appointed with some tasks or something. Or... He was forced to stay there...

“Hey, baby boy! How long do we have to wait?!” a nasty calling cut through his thoughts and made Kame to flinch a little.

Grenet was sitting on the spot from where he could see the whole taproom and he was looking at Kame directly.

Kame put on his best neutral expression and forced his legs to move towards their table. On his way he collected some empty bottles, before stopping as far from Grenet as it was possible.

“What would you like?” he asked hoping that his voice wouldn´t reveal his discomfort.

“A proper service, you clever dick,” Grenet reacted scornfully.

From some reason, just at that moment, Kame realized that he was too naive to think that he couldn´t have hated that bastard more that he already did. He bit his tongue to keep the rude reaction back.

“Bring us some beers and whiskey. Pronto,” Grenet ordered him, putting his dirty boots on the table.

Kame suppressed the raising anger with all his might, and just nodded. He prepared the glasses as fast as he could, trying to push away the depressing thoughts about Jin, but he wasn´t fast enough at all. Not according to Grenet.

“It took you quite long,” the deputy said to the busy bartender rudely instead of thanks, when he brought the tankards on their table.

“I deal with our customers´ orders in the order, Grenet,” Kame reacted stiffly and wanted to turn away, when a painful grip around his wrist prevented him from that.

“I told you to watch your manners, didn´t I, baby boy?”

That touch made Kame feel really sick. He looked into that man´s eyes and noticing the dangerous shine in them made his stomach to clench into the little hard lump. How could anyone be so... Evil?

“Come on, Math, he didn´t do anything wrong this time,” surprisingly, one of his subordinates spoke up. It was the one, who worked as their Sheriff´s deputy before Grenet was appointed to that position.

Grenet pierced the cheeky one with his eyes.

“That´s on me to decide, isn´t it?” he asked a question, which was not question at all.

“Sure, Math, whatever... Just saying,” the man backed off immediately.

“I´m serving you as any other customer, Grenet,” Kame stated still calmly.

Grenet pulled him even closer roughly.

“I´m _not_ _any other_ customer,” he hissed into Kame´s face. “Remember that or I will make you.”

After that ugly threat, the deputy finally let him go.

“And we are still waiting for those whiskey shots,” Grenet informed him haughtily.

Kame returned to the bar, having a hard time to prevent himself from doing something stupid. When he was pouring the shots from the bottle, he noticed the red finger prints on his skin, which were disappearing only slowly. He clenched his palm into the fist to stop it from shaking and with regained self-control he brought the whiskeys to that hundred times damned table.

The young bartender couldn´t see it, when he was returning back to the counter, but Grenet´s grin, with which he was watching him, wasn´t telling anything good...

***

 

Jin was trying to make himself as small as it was even impossible under the natural roof created from a few branches above his head, which were not helping from that shitty raining at all.

He was on the guard only for an hour, but he was already shaking from cold, wet from head to toes, pondering about if it was really worth of this. He really doubted that any Indian or thief would have been so crazy and come to steal something from Karnaka´s property in this fucked up wet weather.

It was good for him to know the range of these lands, where the other guards had their spots, the time gaps between the changes and such stuff, but if only it didn´t have to be repaid by standing outside for hours.

Nothing was heard around, except the never ending raining and the bleating of sheep from nearby shelter from time to time.

Jin made one fast circle around his area and returned under the poor shelter again. He wasn´t supposed to be substituted in less than two hours. Imagining this, he started to shake even more.

How he would have used Kame´s special tea right now so much…

The young guy was probably working now too - in the saloon, serving the guests, and probably that shithead Grenet as well, as he was allowed to return to Bozeman City.

Jin let out a deep long depressed breath.

Of course that he knew it wouldn´t be easy. But he was hoping there would be some unnoticed mistake in security, which would have allowed him to deal with Karnaka quickly and get off before anyone would have noticed what he had done. But after he saw all the guards and the precautions and especially after he saw Karnaka himself, he knew this would be a long-term open matter. It would take a lot of time and his patience to be able to get rid of the old man unnoticed.

Jin wanted to get the revenge for his friend, he wanted to kill Karnaka, yes, but he didn´t want to waste the rest of his life running from his upset subordinates. So he had to do it in a way no one would notice him, or even better, so that no one would ever suspect him. And he was determined to accomplish it. He just wasn´t sure if he would be able to deal with the fucking tasks like this one in the meantime...

Moreover, there was one more thing to worry about - Kame. If it happened, that somebody would figure out he was helping Jin, it would have brought him even more troubles. And Grenet was already focused at the young bartender much more than Jin liked.

So not only for his own sake and for his dead friend, but also for Kame´s sake he had to figure something out fast. Before this whole situation would get even worse…


	14. Silence before the storm

**I** t was just one rainy November week. But very long one for both Kame and Jin.

The young bartender was doing everything he could to avoid Grenet´s attention. It was almost beyond his abilities to stay calm and concentrate on his job, when the worries for Jin didn´t want to leave his mind and at the same time he had to deal with shitty attitude of the cocky deputy. Even Kame´s mother and Lena had noticed that there was something wrong with him, but he didn´t say a word about what was bothering him and talked it out on the tiredness.

Not being for the simple remark, which Kame had overheard from one of Grenet´s gunmen in the middle of week, about ´ _that newbie having the worst parts of watches_ ´, he was quite sure that he wouldn´t have been able to stay in the town. He would have left sooner or later to check on Jin himself. But thanks to that talkative man he could presume that Jin had probably persuaded Karnaka about wanting to join his forces and started working for him. And that held Kazuya back. It would have been only troublesome, if he was found loitering around the rich fields of the powerful man. Not to mention that it was really busy time in the saloon again…

The group of surveyors, who were supposed to carry out the final check of the planned route for Northern Pacific Railway in the near area, arrived to Bozeman from Washington and planned to stay for two or three weeks. They were also accompanied by the six government soldiers as their guards just in case of any attack from the local Indians.

Moreover, those two explorers, who were Harada´s guests some time ago already, came back from their explore trip, which was obviously not very successful, as they were spending their last money for drinking every evening.

So, the rooms in the saloon were fully occupied, except the last room on the top floor, which was locked and hiding the stuff of a certain bear hunter...

 

As for Jin, he damned the tearful weather by all the curses he knew already during the second day of his duties. He assumed that Karnaka was probably testing him, waiting for the objections from his side against the tiring night watches and guarding the slaves during the days. But Jin kept everything behind the closed lips, looking for the comfort in Kuro´s presence and persuading himself that it would not last for long.

And fortunately he was right, as he was called to the master of the white mansion on the sixth day and received an order to bring the message to Grenet in Bozeman City.

Jin was so relieved that he could leave the rich lands at least for a while. During those few days he noticed that the other guards were no better men than the capers around Grenet and even though he sporadically saw any open violence, the black slaves were clearly afraid of them, being careful about everything what they did or said. It was like the air on the whole property was filled with fear…

And also the fact that his new boss let him go all alone could have been taken as a good sign, too. At least, Jin hoped so.

***

 

Kame´s heart skipped a beat, when he looked up from who-knows-which-one-in-order tankard of beer and just from the habit that he had created during the past week, than with any hope, he checked up the incomer passing through the swinging doors. He almost didn´t believe it first, but the wet coat and hat really belonged to the black-haired guy who he was waiting for.

A quick glance of the dark eyes, which focused on him as the first person in the taproom, made Kame more than sure about it. The relief from seeing Jin all right and in one piece flooded him from head to toes. Only after that he noticed that the older one seemed exactly as exhausted as he felt himself.

Jin tore his eyes, which were framed by the dark circles, from the bartender to look around and then he headed to the table in the corner, where the usual bunch of loud gunmen was seated.

“Well, well! Our new buddy is back from his test ride!” Grenet with the cigarette in the corner of his mouth and with a slim blond harlot in his lap welcomed him loudly. “Make a place for him, boys!”

Through the general noise, Kame couldn´t hear Jin´s reaction, neither the conversation which started between him and Grenet. He managed to serve other two tables, before Grenet´s voice cut through the smoky air of the saloon again. He was calling for Dana, another one of Madame Sukina´s girls, who was just entertaining the two explorers, but hearing the sheriff´s deputy voice, she left them with an apology and went to their table, moving her hips sensually on the way.

Kame got out of her way, as he was collecting the empty glasses from the table nearby.

“What would you like, Math?” she asked with a dazzling smile, stopping between his and Jin´s chair.

“Our greenhorn here deserves some entertainment too, dear,” Grenet announced with a dirty grin and impressed some coins into her white hand. “Be nice to him.”

Jin looked up surprised to the girl, while Kame went back to the counter.

“That´s not really necessary… I´ve told you that I´m tired, Grenet and...”

Instead of paying any attention to the young guy´s words, the deputy pulled Dana for a hand and literally made her sit on Akanishi´s lap.

“Keep your excuses, greenhorn and enjoy,” he instructed him strictly.

Kame swallowed a bitter lump in his throat, when he turned around the bar and saw the girl wrapping her naked arms around Jin´s neck and whispering something in his ear. He made himself stop staring at the view and care for his duties. There was nothing special about it…

Shortly after that, Kame wasn´t very happy to notice that there were almost empty tankards at their table, but he didn´t want to risk to give Grenet another reason to scold him, so he rather rushed there with the new beers, avoiding to look at Jin. But even though, the bartender could hear Dana laughing to some vulgar joke together with her colleague, who was occupying Grenet´s legs.

Kame was upset on himself for being so emotional because of...

 _Damn, this is not my business…_ he almost ran back to the counter, ordering himself to stop behaving like an idiot.

It didn´t take long before the girl obeyed the never ending encouragements from Grenet and stood up, pulling Jin on his feet with her. Their steps towards to back part of the taproom, and to the door leading to the stairway, was followed by obscene whooping of the whole corner group.

Kame made himself to focus only on proper cleaning of the glass in his hand, but the more he rubbed the material, the tenser he felt. He put the glass back on the counter so hard, it almost broke. He had absolutely no reason to be upset. Jin could do whatever he wanted with that girl. He was a man with his needs, it was only natural. So why… Why the hell did it make him so disappointed?

*

At first, Jin thought that he would excuse himself from the blonde´s company as soon as they disappeared from reach of Grenet´s eyes. And when he tripped over the very first stair, almost falling down, if he wasn´t fast enough to lean over the wall, supported by the pretty harlot from the other side, it made him only more convinced that it was not the best time for him to enjoy some sexual wassail.

“You really look tired, Mister,” the girl said looking at his face carefully.

“Yeah,” Jin nodded, quite grateful for her to be so observing. “I´m sorry, but I think you should rather go back. I won´t be a good companion this evening.”

But the slim blonde shook her head hastily, so that the curls falling from her complicated hair bun moved from one side to another.

“No, no, Grenet has already paid me for being at your service, I can´t go back!” the harlot seemed almost terrified just from the idea. “I don´t want to upset him...”

Jin sighed. The girl´s fear was understandable.

“But I...” he tried once again.

“Don´t worry, Mr. Handsome,” the blonde smiled at him sensually and pressed against more. “You won´t do anything too exhausting and I will make you feel very very good...” she winked defiantly and led him upstairs right away.

Jin didn´t have any energy left to oppose the determined girl, so he just let her to lead their way up to his room. The truth was that he could definitely use some relaxation and nice treatment after that horrible week at Karnaka´s lands.

*

Dana didn´t lie when she promised, that Jin wouldn´t have to do anything and she would bring him pleasure anyway. The beautiful harlot knew her job well. She undressed the tired guy from the wet coat, trousers and rest of his clothes slowly. Then she made him to lie down gently and her skillful touches of the hands with long fingers all over his body and her lips on his skin helped Jin to forget about the tiredness for a while.

It was a long time since the last opportunity he let himself enjoy some of the sexual services, which were provided by girls like Dana. And he was amazed that he endured it for so long, when it felt so damn good...

But going down from the culmination of her successful efforts, Jin already felt like he wouldn´t be able to even move, let alone to get up. His body was asking for some proper rest.

“You know, if you would like to get more sometimes, just ask for me,” Dana whispered into his ear hoarsely. “It´s been a long time since I´ve had such a good-looking customer,” she giggled a little and moved her head lower.

At the same moment Jin opened his eyes and from the inner impulse, which couldn´t be suppressed, he avoided her attempt to kiss him on the lips. The girl looked at him surprised a little, but with a smile.

“Oh, so you´re even this kind of guy?”

“Sorry, but I just don´t kiss with...” Jin didn´t finish the sentence, but it wasn´t even necessary.

This time, Dana laughed really heartily.

“Oh, God, you don´t have to apologize! You´re cute, Mr. Handsome,” she just kissed him on the cheek slightly, so that her strong perfume flooded Jin once again and then she got up from his bed.

“I´ll go and let you rest. You look like that you have had enough, anyway,” she said straightening her red dress and altering a few loosened hairs. “Have a nice dreams, cutie,” she waved at him from the door.

If his eyelids wouldn´t be so heavy and the sleepiness wouldn´t crawl around him as a hungry wolf, Jin would have objected something to such stupid nicknames. But that exhausted he fell asleep even before the harlot managed to go all stairs down.

***

 

The next morning Kame felt like as if he didn´t sleep at all, despite he managed to steal a few hours of rest after the last drunker left the saloon, so that he could clean everything up and go to his bed, before he had to get up again and rush into the stalls for regular grooming of all present horses. Apart from the fact that Mike had stayed at home since the previous day, helping to his sick grandmother, Mr. Harada promised to raise Kame´s salary, so it was worth of it.

Unlike cleaning up of dung or serving the rude guests, Kame enjoyed this job. The slow long movements across the hair of noble animals helped him to forget about every day´s troubles for the time being. Actually, it was his most favorite duty in Harada´s Saloon. So he didn´t care for being sleepy and with a good mood he focused on getting this task done properly.

“Good morning...”

Kame flinched a little at the sudden intrusion, as he missed the steps, which would have told him that somebody was coming. But he recognized the voice and knew who was standing behind him, even before he turned to face the guy.

“Good morning,” he smiled at Jin, who was leaning over the wooden counter of the stable.

“Every time I see you, you´re busy,” Jin stated shaking his head. “Are you paid enough for this, at least?”

The bartender and occasional stableman nodded.

“My boss is quite generous,” Kame replied and finished his work on the stout roan by caressing its combed mane.

“That´s good to hear... Do you have another scrub brush?”

Kame left the stable and looked at the older one questioningly.

“Yes, right there, on that shelf next to the entrance,” he pointed out. “But why?”

“Why do you think? You still have a good half of the horses left. I will help you.”

“No way,” Kame rejected the idea immediately. “That´s my work to do and...”

The young bartender was silenced by the sudden move of the other guy, as Jin placed one of the arms around Kame´s shoulders and tilted to him pouting.

“You should already know that I do what I want. And I don´t care about your excuses,” the older one informed him with the face right next to his, which brought the nervous shivering into Kame´s stomach. “So shut up, Kazu, and let me help you,” he ruffled his hair gently and let him stand there totally dumbfounded, heading for the grooming tools.

Kame found his voice again only at the moment, when Jin was already returning back.

“ _Kazu_??” he repeated, still standing on the spot shocked. “How did you manage to come up with this?”

“What? Don´t you like it?” Jin looked at him with a completely innocent expression.

“Eh...” Kame murmured something hardly comprehensible, somehow not being able to react properly.

“I knew you wouldn´t mind it,” the satisfied smile curved Jin´s lips. “I will start from here, all right?”

The older one entered the stable at the end of the opposite row of which Kame had just finished, not even waiting for his reaction.

Well, that was a new mood of the young gunslinger for Kazuya... And there was something about it, what made him concerned. He was watching, Jin who had already started to groom, for a while, before he approached the next horse.

“Did something happen, Jin?” Kame asked him on a silent voice, starting the same procedure all over again.

The other one´s movements stopped for a second, before they continued.

“Not really...” Jin reacted much more quietly than before. “I´m just glad that I´m back here.”

Kame glanced at the other guy and figured, that he didn´t want to talk about it yet. He decided to change the subject for that moment.

“So, did you have a nice evening yesterday?”

“Huh?” Jin looked up behind the horse´s back.

“I mean with Dana,” Kame explained and avoided to meet the dark eyes. “You left with her, didn´t you?”

“Ah, yeah, she was...” Jin paused and grinned. “Very experienced. But I hope I didn´t disappointed her too much.”

“Why would you?” Kame was not sure what to think about the statement.

“Well, I was too tired for any big performance, you know,” Jin laughed shortly. “I fell asleep almost right after she was finished with my member down there.”

Kame felt the hotness flooding his face and he lowered his head down hastily. He didn´t expect Jin to be so open.

“I see...” he murmured. “I doubt that she would complain.”

“I hope so,” the short reaction from the other stable followed.

Kame didn´t have courage to ask any other question after that, so they continued in silence. Both guys focused on cleaning all horses from the dirt. In the end, Kame was really grateful, as they finished it in the record time.

“Thank you, Jin,” he said, when they were going back to put the tools back on their proper place.

“Don´t worry about it,” the guy reacted smiling. “It´s my thank you for grooming Kuro so that I almost couldn´t recognize him...”

Kame had nothing to say on that. He wouldn´t have admitted that the Jin´s precious horse was the very first one he took care about. Instead of that, he took a breath for a question.

“So, how did it go?”

Jin´s sudden change of expression was a sign that the older one knew very well, what the question was related to.

“Let´s go outside,” he said and headed out to the back part of the stalls as the first one, Kame following him there.

Kame understood quickly, why Jin wanted to go near the dung pile, which was located on that side. It was very unlikely that anyone would have caught them there.

*

Jin searched in the pocket of his coat first, taking out the pack of cigarettes and lightening one up under the small roof, where the raining couldn´t reach them. He offered to Kame, but the younger one just shook his head in rejection. The young gunslinger hid the package again and crouched down, leaning his back to the wooden boards, which created the wall of the stalls.

Kame observed Jin for a while, wondering about his expression and behavior, which was kind of a mystery to him at that moment. What happened at Karnaka´s farm, that it made Jin to behave in a way, which Kame hadn´t experienced till then?

He tore his glance away from the older one and focusing at the ugly rainy view. Somehow, Kazuya felt that it was meaningless to try and force Jin to talk. So he just stood there, looking at the heavy drops, which were falling from the edge of the roof above them, smelling the smoke from the older one´s cigarette and waited.

“It seems that old bastard believes what I´ve said to him so far,” Jin spoke finally. “He accepted that head and hired me.”

Kame assumed it to be a good part of the news, and waited for more information.

“But he doesn´t trust me, I think...” the older one let go of a wide cloud of smoke, which swirled from between his lips up around nose and eyes into the damp air.

Kame moved and crouched down right next to Jin into the same position.

“Why do you think so?” he asked.

“I don´t know, it´s just a feeling...” Jin shrugged. “Anyway, he assigned me to the night watches around his fields for the past week.”

“I´ve heard something in the saloon... But why do you have to guard them?”

“As far as I understood, there were some issues with Indians stealing from his corn fields,“ the older guy explained slowly.

Kame knitted his eyebrows hearing that.

“If the government and Karnaka himself didn´t take all possible fertile fields from them, they wouldn´t have to do it.”

“So, you were aware of this?” Jin glanced at the younger one.

“I´ve just heard about a certain part of the tribe causing unnecessary troubles,” Kame stated. “The Tribal Chief tried hard to keep them under control. I thought it was already solved.”

“It was, probably...” Jin assumed. “But it seems that Karnaka is very careful. Anyway, he sent me back here with the order for Grenet...”

Kame turned his head away from the dripping water to look at the handsome guy next to him, meeting his dark eyes finally.

“What order?” he asked with a bad hunch.

“To find out where the Blackfeet´s Tribe village is...”

Kame felt his blood froze in its cells.

“He didn´t explain the reason, but it´s not so hard to figure it out, I guess...” Jin continued with the information gloomily.

Well, in that Kame was of the same opinion. The tribe already had to move their village once, because of the pursuit from Karnaka. That time, he was able to warn them to withdraw back on time and also, the old man´s goal was to scare the Indians off. But it was highly probable, it wouldn´t be so nice this time.

“I´ve heard about a certain incident with the group of Indians, which occurred two days ago. It was in the early evening, I wasn´t on the guard, so I don´t know the details, but it seems that it pissed Karnaka off...” Jin completed what he knew and inhaled from his lethal pleasure again.

“Damn it!” Kame hissed out upset. “They wouldn´t have to steal, if they had enough food!”

“I am not arguing with you about that,” Jin assured they younger one. “I just thought you should know.”

Kame breathed out deeply, dropping his head back on the wall behind him, a little hopelessly.

“Of course... I´m sorry. Thanks for telling me, Jin,” he said already calmer. “They are very well hidden, deep in the mountains. The tribe should be safe for now. Grenet won´t be able to find them easily.”

“I´m glad to hear that,” Jin stated, focusing his glance on the raining again.

Kame observed his profile for a while.

“You look quite tired,” he informed the other one then. “Were you assigned with something else except those night watches?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” Jin confirmed. “But I think that Karnaka is just testing me. When I get over the first phase, he won´t overload me so much. I hope, at least...”

“Yeah, that´s probable...” Kame reacted fuzzily, not asking Jin anything else. If the older one wanted to talk, he would.

“You know, when we got there, I was amazed with how large his lands are...” Jin put out the rest of the cigarette in the moist soil. Kame was looking at him, while Jin started to play with a small stone, keeping his eyes on it. “He is known as a rich man, and seeing everything what he owns was incredible. But... The people who take care about those fields and gardens... They are slaves,” Jin hid the stone in the grip of his hand. “I knew that Karnaka have some, but seeing it with my own eyes... And that way in which his capers are treating them, like they are nothing more than dust on their shoes...”

At that moment, hearing the tone of Jin´s voice, Kame understood, what bothered the guy despite the fact that his plan had been going well so far. Jin was forced to behave as a bad guy, showing everybody around a face, which was not his and pretending he didn´t care about others. But it was against his nature, something what he couldn´t accept easily.

Jin threw the little stone away, over the water barrel a few meters away from them.

“And I can do nothing about it,” he murmured with an unsatisfied expression on his face, confirming Kame´s assumption.

“I´ve heard there was some inspection at his residence because of the black slaves, but no bad treatment was proved,” Kame said. “Is it that bad?” he asked quietly.

Jin nodded his head shortly.

“They beat them, throwing the worst insults on those hard-working people for nothing… God, how I hate this haughty attitude towards others,” he complained hopelessly.

“You´re not alone in this...”

It was now more than clear to Kame, why Jin was so upset. It was damn difficult to pretend being somebody else. It was simply depressing to just watch the bad things happening and not being able to do something about it. And neither he nor Jin could change it. But there was one thing they _could_ focus at - showing Raynold Karnaka out to the Eternal Hunting Grounds...

“Did you have a chance to look around properly, at least?” he asked Jin after a moment, to bring the guy to different thoughts.

“Yes... It will be tough,” Jin stated frowning. “I was looking for some mistake or weakness in the security system, but it is done very properly. The high wall around the house and garden, the gates guarded day and night, nobody strange can get inside unnoticed, the least to Karnaka himself. They always took my guns before letting me go to him. And that creepy servant, Cameron, I think, he is with him all the time, like a dog. I guess I have to kill him first, before I will have even a chance to aim at Karnaka,” the older one complained in the long speech.

“There is always some weak point,” Kame assumed convincingly. “Just don´t stop searching for it. There may be a member of his forces, who is not so happy in Karnaka´s service anymore. Or some brave slave, who is fed up of that treatment. In both cases it would be useful for you. Or some bad habit that Karnaka has and you could take an advantage of that. And other things... What? Why are you looking at me like this?” Kame fidgeted under the sharp observing look, which Jin focused at him.

“Nothing in particular... It´s just that you are always able to find something positive and encourage me...” Jin responded earnestly. “You´re right, there has to be something and I will find it. Thank you, Kame.”

“Uhm, you´re welcome,” Kame reacted sheepishly.

He avoided the dark look hastily and got up on his feet faster than it was necessary. With the fast moves he cleared his trousers from the dust.

“And how was your week?” Jin asked him, still sitting on the ground. “What about Grenet?”

“Not worse than usual,” Kame murmured in a low voice, but it obviously didn´t convince Jin.

“What did he do this time?” the older guy urged again.

 “Nothing, really...” Kame sighed. “He is too quiet, actually. And to be honest, I don´t have a good feeling about it.”

“You mean that it´s like the calm before the storm?” Jin suggested.

“Exactly,” Kame nodded his head slowly. “Well, I have to go now. Thanks for helping me out again.”

“Ah, forget it finally!” Jin reacted. “I will let you know if I get to know anything more.”

 “All right... See you later, Jin.”

***

 

That evening Kame could stay at home. It was a lazy day for a business and Harada gave him an off time after he took care of the horses. They prepared a dinner together with Lena, who insisted on it, despite Kame persuading her that he could do it alone. So they had a meal in three people.

Kame was glad that Lena stayed, in the end. She was trying to improve his mood without asking him for the reason of his silent and gloomy behavior. And his mother felt well too, so he enjoyed that calm atmosphere at home.

But it just couldn´t last... Kame should have known that there always had to be something to destroy a good time…

Lena agreed to leave the cleaning up on Kame at least and left their house laughing, that he would break at least three plates from four. Well, he broke one...

Kame was just putting the dishes into the water, when his mother, who was outside to throw the leftovers away, rushed into the kitchen pale and with a worried expression.

“Kazuya! I think I´ve just heard Lena screaming!”

A white plate with blue edges slipped out from Kame´s fingers and shattered on the floor. He didn´t pay any attention to it. He didn´t realize in how great tension he was through the day. It was like he was expecting something bad any minute. And it was here...

“Where?” he asked through the narrow throat.

“On the main street, I think near the post office warehouse, but I´m not sure...” his mother didn´t even finished the sentence and Kame was already on the way out.

“Please, be careful!” he heard the worried voice behind him just after he flew out on the street...


	15. Fatal confrontation

**D** arkness and awful humidity were filling up the misty evening. The fabric of Kame´s shirt stuck to his chest within mere seconds and it was uncomfortable to breathe the heavy air. But he didn´t even notice that.

Kame was running in the direction by which Lena was usually going home; his heart beating in the irregular rhythm, the blood rushing in his veins and the worries flooding his mind. What could only happen to the girl?

His bad hunch made its knowing nod, when his ears caught a strange noise from the dark space between the closed warehouse and the huge rainwater barrel. Kame stopped on the spot and let his eyes search through the shadows carefully. And then he finally saw it.

The dim light of some lanterns were falling onto the two figures slightly. They would have been almost unnoticeable, not being for the yellow skirt which Lena wore that evening.

Kame´s sight covered with the burning anger, when he realized that Lena was desperately fighting against some man in dark clothes, who was pushing her against the wall, and covering her mouth to prevent the girl from screaming again. He had already ripped the warm coat off her and he was proceeding under the skirt. And Kame let that anger to take the control over his body completely.

His legs moved and he reached the dark place in no time. Hearing the rushing steps, the man rose his head up from Lena´s neck and turned it towards him. In the last second, Kame recognized him. But he didn´t hesitate even for a moment. With all his power, which he didn´t even know he had, he grabbed the man for the shoulder, tearing him away from crying Lena and hit him right into the chin with his other hand.

The blow was so strong, that Kame heard something cracked in the mouth under his fist and he felt the wave of pain from his own wounded joints on the right hand. The attacker ended up down in the mud, not able to stop the heavy fall.

Kame pulled shaking Lena to himself and then behind his back, piercing half-lying Math Grenet in front of him with the hateful gaze.

“Kame... He... He...” the girl was sobbing quietly, clinging to his sleeve.

“It´s alright, Lena, you´re safe now,” Kame said as calmly as he could, not letting his eyesight from the deputy.

Grenet spitted out the bloody sputum, wiped the stained chin with the back of his hand and repaid Kame´s glance. And a strange expression appeared on his face.

“He wanted to...” Lena tried again, but lost her voice for the second time.

That bastard on the ground laughed loudly.

“I´m sure you would have enjoyed it, you little whore,” he stated, getting up on his feet slowly.

That was only another feed for Kame´s rage. Not being for Lena holding onto him, he would have jumped on that disgusting man again and wouldn´t have stopped, until that laughing would be erased forever.

“Shut up, Grenet!” he snapped, barely staying still. “Just shut up!”

“I should have known you will destroy any fun, baby boy,” the deputy reacted, moving unsteadily from one foot to another. He was obviously drunk.

Kame´s body was shaking with anger from head to toes and the urge for beating the shit out of that human trash was as strong as never before.

“If you ever touch her again...!” he hissed out in a raspy voice.

Grenet´s lips curved in a disgusting smile.

“Then what, baby boy? What will you do? I´m... Curious,” he said provocatively.

Kame felt like he was able to kill the deputy right on the spot. A man like Grenet maybe didn´t deserve to die, and Kame wasn´t the one who would like to act as the judge, but he definitely didn´t deserve to live and continue making the hell from other people´s lives. Lena saw the expression on Kame´s face from close and got even more scared than before.

“Kame, no... Let it go...” she urged on him, clutching his arm.

But the shaken girl wouldn´t have been able to stop him, if Kame had really decided to move from his forced motionless state.

“What the hell is going on here?!” a little out of breath but firm voice cut through the air and more light was brought on the scene suddenly.

It was an old sheriff and two other men, carrying the lanterns and revolvers in their hands. And behind them; walking slowly, but as fast as she could, Kame´s mother appeared. She went for the sheriff right after her son left the house.

Nobody from the new incomers had to be a genius to figure the situation out, seeing the pale girl in torn blouse hiding behind furious Kame and very dirty Grenet opposite to them.

“Math! Are you out of your mind?!” the old man spitted out, after he observed terrified Lena. “Don´t you have enough harlots at Sukina´s place?!”

Kame had never seen the sheriff to confront his deputy so far. But the man liked the blonde girl and what he saw pissed him off to that extent, he forgot to worry about his own situation. Even though it couldn´t be measured with Kame´s anger. He kept his eyes on smirking Grenet, while the sheriff stood beside him and his mother came closer too, whispering something to Lena, before taking her away from them.

Grenet shrugged, not caring about what he did at all.

“I just wanted to... Have some fun, damn it...” he stated haughtily as always, even though the drinks were messing up with his tongue.

It was clearly visible that the old sheriff would like to hit that bastard over the very same place as Kame did and where the nice bruise was starting to be visible. One of the two other men behind them just made some annoyed remark and otherwise they didn´t move from their spot.

“Go home and sleep out from this, you idiot!” the sheriff scolded his deputy. “Or I will arrest you! And I mean it.”

“Oh, I´m so scared that I´ll rather go...” Grenet smiled odiously.

He went closer right to Kame, who was standing in his way. And he didn´t intend to move at all. The lanterns light revealed how much Grenet was covered with dark brown mud, and the path of blood from the corner of his lips. He stopped only a few inches from Kame, who was clenching his fists firmly, trying to get control over his boiling wrath.

“You...” the deputy said from such closeness, that Kame could smell the whiskey from his mouth. Grenet raised his hand and touched his chin. “Quite a good hit for someone so girlish like you.”

“Math! I said go to the bed!” the sheriff reminded him angrily, but Grenet didn´t care about the man. He kept staring into Kame´s eyes.

“But... I can assure you,” Grenet continued more quietly. “You will pay for this, Kamenashi.”

Saying that last sentence, the deputy no longer seemed so drunk to Kame. And an idea ran through his mind. It was only a guess, but he thought that Grenet attacked Lena just to provoke him. Just to make him to do something, what the deputy could use against him. And he acted exactly according to his expectations...

“You. Will. Regret. This. Got that?” the deputy stated with a dangerous emphasis on each word.

Kame kept his mouth shut. He had already realized that he made a mistake.

After this, Grenet moved again, brushed by his shoulder to Kame roughly and finally disappeared from the scene. Kame kept staring blankly into darkness, still feeling the helpless anger inside, but also an awful anxiety.

“Go home too, boy,” the old sheriff looked at Kame, who was basically frozen on the place. “We will discuss this tomorrow morning.”

And they left him alone.

Kame was listening to his own heart calming down slowly. But even though the silence covered him and he knew that he prevented the worst, that Lena was saved on time, it didn´t brush the anger and bad feeling from the whole situation away.

He couldn´t take that hit into the Grenet´s face back, and he didn´t even want to, but what it could cause, was nothing to look forward to...

*

Kazuya didn´t go home right away. His steps headed to Lena´s home first. He assumed that his mother took her there.

He took a deep breath before he knocked on the painted wood. The door opened in front of him almost immediately and a tall man invited him inside. It was Lena´s father.

“Come on in, Kame. Your mother already told us everything,” he said, closing the door again with more force than it was necessary.

“Is she still here?” Kame asked him seriously.

“Yes...” Mr. Brice nodded. “They are taking care of Lena, together with my wife,” he paused for a moment, before he continued looking directly at the young bartender´s face. “You have my enormous gratitude for saving my daughter, Kame.”

“I´m just glad I could get there on time,” he reacted quietly.

The older man knitted his eyebrows.

“Where is that bastard now?” he asked slowly.

Kame looked at the angered father carefully.

“He was sent home for now. The sheriff wants to solve this in the morning...” he responded, keeping his voice calm.

“I have a right to shoot that man...” the man growled, clenching his palms into fists.

“I agree,” Kame said honestly. “But it won´t solve anything, Mr. Brice, you know that.”

“Then what will solve it?!” the man opposite to him burst out loudly. “It is my daughter! I won´t let anyone hurt her! Grenet thinks he can do whatever the hell he wants! But if he wasn´t Karnaka´s gunman...! If only he wasn´t...!”

Mr. Brice´s voice died out. They both knew that the opposite was the case, unfortunately. And they couldn´t afford to go against Karnaka. Kame had no idea what to say to comfort that anger and also fear in the man´s eyes, which were so close to his own emotions.

***

 

On the next evening, the sheriff´s deputy figure wasn´t occupying its usual chair in the corner of the saloon. One could say that it was convenient not to deal with the annoying remarks and orders for the whole time, but Kame felt it as a bad omen. And unfortunately, he wasn´t wrong...

As the old sheriff decided, there was a meeting concerning Grenet´s attack on Lena Brice right in the morning. To Kame´s disgust, Grenet apologized for the incident, making an excuse that he was drunk and didn´t know what he was doing. Mr. Brice and his wife were furious; they wanted him to be arrested and punished properly, but there was no way against Karnaka´s right hand. It was enough to remind to the upset couple that they were late with their regular payment for the loan from Mr. Karnaka, which he gave them recently for Mr. Brice´s medical treatment, to make them to be quiet.

The deputy promised not to repeat anything like the attack on the girl ever again and in the end, nothing actually happened. Those were Grenet´s words, and Kame felt sick only remembering it. As well as the stare, by which the deputy kept piercing him, although he didn´t say anything about Kame punching him at all...

After that morning discussion, the bartender couldn´t shake the nervous tension away for the whole day. And now, thanks to the very calm evening, Mr. Harada replaced him behind the bar quite soon and sent him home. Kame was grateful for it, as he wanted to stop by Lena´s house to check up on her. She wasn´t present at the meeting and he had no chance to ask her parents about her. But he didn´t manage to make even two full steps from the veranda, when somebody blocked his way.

It didn´t surprise him, that it was Brad - one of Grenet´s capers.

“Kamenashi, I would like to ask you to go with us,” he said sardonically with a smirk on his face.

Kame felt the coldness falling on him, when he noticed two other gunmen stepping closer from both sides. So they were waiting for him...

“What for?” he asked, even though he already knew...

“We won´t bother you for long, don´t worry. Our deputy just wants to ask you a few questions...” Brad informed him.

It was three on one. No, four on one, Kame corrected his assumption, when he felt a very unpleasant presence behind his back as well.

What choice did he have? To refuse? To run? They would have forced him to go anyway...

“Don´t stand here like a totem and let´s go,” the man ordered him rudely. “Now.”

*

 

Jin didn´t understand, why Grenet told him to guard the back door of the sheriff´s office. It looked like they were going to have a secret meeting, but without him. And probably in the front room, not in the one from which he had overheard their conversation last time, as its window was right next to his left hand and it was dark there. It was a little inconvenient, but not being for that ugly raining, which started in the afternoon again, he wouldn´t have mind it so much. A drink from a certain bartender in the warm and welcoming saloon was his idea of well-spent evening, not this.

He caught the faint sound of some steps from the main street and then closing of the door. But he couldn´t see who went inside from his position.

Jin leant over the wall, hiding his hands in the deep pockets. The dusk was falling slowly and it didn´t seem that the raining would stop or even slacken.

He could only hope that whatever they wanted to do inside, they would finish it soon, at least before he would end up as a drowned rat again.

*

 

Despite his unenviable situation, Kame wasn´t scared. He would have been disgusted with himself if he had been. He already knew that Grenet was a cruel bastard capable of anything, and what troubles and pain he could cause. But what the young bartender counted as positive was that the deputy picked up on him this time; and not on his mother or Lena again. It was better that he could deal with Grenet himself, instead of watching Lena in pain.

Naturally, Kazuya was tense and worried about what to expect, but he didn´t feel any fear when he was led across the street and inside the sheriff´s office. One of his ´guards´ went forward and took a position next to the table, which was occupied with the certain dirty boots, while the other two closed the door and remained standing in front of them. The last man stayed outside. They made pretty sure there was no escape for Kame.

“What a precious guest in my office…”

Just those few words were enough for Kame to realize, that he found himself in a really bad situation this time. The deputy uttered that welcome in a spiteful and cold tone, marking the room as his, even though its true owner was not present at the moment. As usually, there was a cigarette between his lips and smoke from it was filling up the stuffy air, irritating Kame´s nose. The faint white clouds were going up along the face from which the sharp and scornful eyes were piercing him. And that look put Kame on the highest alert.

“I´d offer you a seat, but we´re kinda out of chairs,” Grenet informed him, despite the obvious fact, that there were two empty chairs just a meter from the bartender.

Kame didn´t react on such an idiotic joke, which could be laughed over only by the gunmen around.

“You know, we have a certain problem, baby boy,” Grenet continued, brushed his legs off the table and put out a cigarette butt in the ashtray slowly. “Your red friends were cocky enough to rob my boss again. And I´m quite sure you realize that we cannot just let it go unpunished, right?”

The deputy didn´t get anything from Kame, just silence and steady gaze. The awful smirk disappeared from his face slowly and he straightened up in his chair.

“Right?” he repeated again in a dangerously cold tone again.

“What do you want from me, Grenet?” Kame asked sharply.

A glimpse of anger went through the deputy´s eyes. He got up, went around the table and stopped in front of Kame, who didn´t move an inch.

“Well, for the start, you can describe us, where exactly we will find the village of those thieves... And don´t even try to pretend that you don´t know where it is,” Grenet snorted.

Kame realized it would have been useless to deny it. Everybody in the town, who got to know him, knew from where he and his mother came to Bozeman, as well as many people were familiar with that he kept going back to the Blackfeet Tribe quite often.

It wasn´t such a surprise that Grenet figured out he could be the best guide to the Indians. But they were his friends and Kame swore to protect the secret of their village no matter what. It didn´t even come to his mind that he would have betrayed them. It was painfully clear that Karnaka probably wanted to send some killing squad there and carry out an awful massacre to get rid of them once and for all. Kazuya couldn´t and didn´t want to be responsible for that.

“Where is that Blackfeet trash´s village, Kamenashi?” Grenet asked him again, when nothing came out from Kame´s mouth.

“No matter who was stealing on Karnaka´s lands, they are not responsible for it, Grenet. You cannot blame the whole village for...”

A strong grip around Kame´s neck cut off the rest of the sentence.

“That´s not what I asked,” the deputy hissed right into his face. “Will you tell me where it is or not?”

Grenet´s fingers were clutching him so tightly that not enough air was going into Kame´s lungs, but despite that he managed to respond: “I will not.”

The man in front of him grinned.

“Honestly, I hoped you´d say that...” the deputy stated and pushed the young man away suddenly, so that he stopped staggering only thanks to the wall behind.

Before Kame could have got himself together, Grenet gestured his men and he was gripped from both sides for the shoulders. They forced him to go down on his knees roughly and Grenet spoke again, while taking off his coat.

“You know, I had a discussion about you with my boss, baby boy. And he doesn´t like that you are not able to behave.”

Kame raised his eyes to look at Grenet, who was standing above him, keeping his silence.

“Obviously, you don´t realize that you should be grateful to Mr. Karnaka... Do you really think he doesn´t know who you are? Do you really think that you and your precious mummy have your pitiful lives because he is too old and forgot about you?” the deputy kept putting up the questions scornfully.

Kame felt the shivers in his spine hearing that. Grenet went down crouching and caught his chin into the hand.

“Well, you´re wrong,” the man hissed. “You´re alive only thanks to Mr. Karnaka´s generosity. He is letting you alive, even though you´re supposed to be a long dead man.”

Kame and his mother assumed something like that, when they returned to the civilization. They didn´t rely on that Karnaka already forgot about the Kamenashi family. They counted with some troubles and that they would have to deal with it. It was not very probable that Karnaka would dare to just shoot them down, when he was so well-known man now. Not without a reason, anyway. And even after Karnaka visited Bozeman in person once and Kame met him in the saloon, they were left alone. The old gangster let them be. But it would have been naive to think that he was not interested in them at all.

Now, with Grenet´s words, it was more than clear that Raynold Karnaka didn´t intend to let them forget their past.

“There was only one thing you were supposed to give him back for it, baby boy,” Grenet continued. “To keep out of his way and his business. To be a good boy. And you are not. You even dare to attack _me_. So, what do you think we should do with you?”

Kame tore his head off the Grenet´s touch angrily, disgusted and fed up by his words.

“I did nothing wrong! I did nothing to get in his way!” he defended himself. “Don´t turn everything in your way, Grenet! You´re the one, who...!”

The loud sound of a heavy slap cut through the air and silenced Kame´s words. He felt his left face burning; the blood dripping from the split lip and inside his mouth. The hair fell over his eyes, which were forced to stare at the wooden floor. And what was the worst - that slap hurt also inside. Being treated like a little bastard by that imitation of deputy was horribly humiliating...

“Don´t you ever talk to me like that,” Grenet said on an ice-cold voice and straightened up. “I promised to my boss that I would teach you some manners, you little pretty bastard and I will...”

The deputy unbuttoned his trousers and striped them down. Kame´s eyes went wide, when Grenet revealed the lower part of his body right in front of him in all its glory.

“What are you staring at? Suck on it, pretty face,” Grenet ordered him smirking awfully.

“What?” Kame breathed out, too shocked to comprehend it right away.

“Don´t tell me those red savages didn´t teach you a thing,” that creep said. “I´ve heard about some very interesting things they are doing. Well, you can practice now...”

Grenet intended to humiliate the young bartender in the most horrible way he could only figure out.

Kame was still a little numb. He didn´t see the faces of his captors, but he spotted Brad at the table, and he wasn´t watching them; the man kept his eyes out of the scene firmly, the slight disagreement in his facial features. But he couldn´t expect any help from him, anyway.

“You´re sick, Grenet...” he managed to say hoarsely.

“You think I can´t compel you?” the deputy smiled. “Hold him firmly, guys,” he ordered, catching Kame for his hair painfully. “I will show you where your place is.”

The horror and urge to vomit flooded Kame. Grenet was seriously fucked up, even more than he had thought. The idea of what might have followed made Kame to fight back. He desperately resisted to the grips, which were holding him down. Grenet twitched with his head, so that Kazuya felt the sharp pain in his neck, but despite that he managed to kick one of his captors to the shin, fighting for more freedom.

The fear from humiliation that Grenet meant for him, if he was not able to free himself, gave him enough power to shake one loosened grip from his shoulder away and pulled out from the grip on his hair too.

“You won´t escape from this!” pissed Grenet snapped, reaching for Kame again.

But the younger one used the opportunity offered, grabbed for the ugly hand and using it as a support he kicked out, hitting a very low part of the deputy´s stomach.

“You little fuck...” the deputy puffed out heavily, bending down. “Tame him down…! Damn it!”

The other two men pounced on Kame immediately and he was flooded by the series of kicks, which stole him off breath, which made him to fall down to the ground, and which made his sight black.

He couldn´t prevent the moans of pain from his mouth. Only subconsciously Kame attempted to protect his head from the painful attacks. It felt like the pain was becoming worse with each of them…

“That´s enough!” the angered voice stopped the rain of punches. “Out of my way! I will deal with him myself...”

Kame hadn´t even found his breath yet, when he was grabbed for the hair again and pulled up on his feet, his knees shaking from weakness.

“If you´re not willing to be taught in a good way, it will be in a bad one!”

Grenet threw Kame against the wall, causing the blast of sparkling stars in his head. A fist hit into his stomach again and then Grenet twisted his arm around, pushing him to the wooden boards, while his other hand directed down and squeezed the bartender´s butt.

“Let go... You bastard...” Kame managed to wheeze out, half blinded from a new pain.

“I´m pretty sure you will like it, baby boy. You can´t be normal with this face of yours,” Grenet snorted into his ear hatefully, already conquering under his trousers.

Kame resisted again, with all his remaining strength, refusing to give up. But Grenet had more strength than him, and even though Kame tried so hard, he was not able to release himself from the grip, which was making him sick. He almost screamed in frustration, when a warning voice resonated in the room.

“Grenet! Soldiers are coming!”

It was Brad, who was looking out of the window all that time. The deputy twitched his head towards the man, not letting Kame go yet.

“What?! What the fuck they want at this hour?!”

“I don´t know, but it looks like they had some problems...” Brad informed his boss. “And we will have them too, if they see him here like this,” he pointed out the young bartender´s presence.

“Fuck! Fuck!” Grenet stepped away from Kame hastily, pulling him behind. “Keep them busy!” he barked at Brad, and rushed to the back part of the building, forcing bleeding Kame to go in the front of him.

*

 

At that moment, when the back door opened suddenly and a slim figure was literally thrown out, Jin didn´t want to believe what he saw. The young guy staggered and ended up on his knees in the huge pool of dirty water. It was Kazuya.

Jin felt like frozen on the spot, completely unable to move. He gaped at the guy for the three long seconds, feeling baffled and trying to comprehend the situation.

“Akanishi! Don´t stand there like an idiot!” Grenet´s voice forced Jin to get himself out of his numb state. “Take him to his house and guard him there!” the deputy yelled. “Now! And go behind the buildings, do not appear on the main street, got it?!”

Not even waiting for the reaction, Grenet disappeared again, smashing the door behind him.

Neither Jin nor Kame moved for a while. Jin saw that the bartender was quite messed up, without a coat, which the deputy threw out behind his owner into the mud; the shirt ripped, the ruffled hair covering his face. And there were also some blood stains on the white cloth...

Seeing that and counting two and two together, Jin was flooded by anger over his own stupidity. He was watching out there like a total asshole, while Grenet obviously had another confrontation with Kame. They had to bring him to the office by the front entrance, otherwise he would knew...

The younger one moved finally, trying to get up, but his legs couldn´t make it. Kazuya was not able to stand up on his feet by himself. Shocked Jin rushed to him immediately, supported him gently and helped him to get up. Kame tried to hide his face in front of him, but Jin noticed that.

He put his hand on the younger´s face and softly, but uncompromisingly, he made Kame to face him. At the sight, the blood in his veins turned into ice. It was not only the huge bruises and scratches, but that expression on Kame´s face...

“What did that bastard do to you?” he asked on a grating voice. Jin didn´t know from what place inside of him that dark ice-cold anger was coming, but it wasn´t important.

That incident from a week ago upset him pretty much too, but he hadn´t fully realized how much he cared for the young bartender, until he saw him like this – dirty, beaten up, shaking, bleeding, with hardly kept tears of pain in his eyes and with that desperate look he was trying to hide in front of him. Jin was not able to think about the cause of that feeling at the moment; it was so strong that it didn´t let him to think straight.

“What _did he_ do to you?” he asked again on so raspy voice, that he couldn´t recognize it.

Kame glanced at Jin and seemed almost scared from the tone the older one used. Then he closed his eyes and let go off a deep breath, which made Jin´s worries even bigger. That son of a bitch dared to hurt Kame again and this time it was serious…

“Kazu?” he asked more quietly, barely keeping control over himself.

“I will be all right, Jin,” Kame said heavily.

Well, many words could be used to describe the guy at the moment, but ´all right´ was definitely not among them. Kazuya seemed calmer, when he opened his eyes again, but Jin was still holding him and felt how much he was shaking. It was something what the younger one couldn´t stop so easily, but he kept trying. Jin realized that Kame was doing it to calm him down.

In his fantasy, Jin ran inside the building, found Grenet and beat the soul out of him, so that he was begging for his life. But right now, there was more important thing to do - to take care of Kame, who was barely able to stand.

“I will take you home… Hold on to me.”

Jin took one of Kazuya´s arms and let it rest on his shoulders carefully, not to cause him even bigger pain, while he hugged the guy around the waist firmly to give him some certainty. Kame didn´t have enough energy to protest, even if he wanted to and he let Jin carry him through the heavy raining...


	16. Care

**K** ame felt like as if he was hit by the train, which dragged him along the railway for so many miles that it was impossible to count them up. Every simple movement caused him another wave of pain, which was blinding him with grey shadows and making him unable to go steadily. He was shaky and cold, not to mention a weak nausea, which was probably caused by that hard hit to his head. But the worst of all, he felt humiliated and pathetically weak.

If the soldiers hadn´t come to the sheriff´s office, no matter the reason they had for it, he wouldn´t have been able to fight Grenet back and prevent him from what the deputy intended to do. Just that idea brought the freezing shivers all over his skin.

Not being for the securing arm around Kame´s body and the warmness which he felt under his palm resting on the other one´s neck, he would have yelled in frustration. But Jin was holding him firmly, leading his slow steps and it brought Kame the feeling of being protected.

It was maybe a little strange to admit, especially after what had happened only minutes ago, but undeniably, when he was hold by the older one like this, it felt like no one could hurt him...

Jin observed him worriedly, when Kame stumbled and relied on his support even more, clinging to the older one´s body like to the last resort.

“Wouldn´t be better if I took you to the doctor?” the young gunslinger proposed on a serious tone.

“No...” Kame wanted to shake his head, but he stopped this intention immediately, when the nausea became stronger. “There would be… many questions. It would be… worse…”

“How can _this_ be even worse?” Jin reacted frowning.

“Just take me… home,” the younger one breathed out heavily.

“Yes, but…”

“Jin… Please…” Kame asked again, focused at staying on his feet.

The older one stopped their movement forward and bent his head down a little to look at Kame´s face.

“Yes, Kazuya, I will. But which house is yours?” he asked him softly.

“Oh, yes…”

Kame raised his head slowly and saw that they were almost on the place. He didn´t realize that Jin didn´t know where exactly he lives yet.

“Sorry, I forgot… It´s that one, with the green shutters…” he defined the right house.

Jin started to walk again and led Kame to the said direction murmuring gloomily, not really expecting any reaction: “What the fuck _you_ _should_ be sorry for…”

*

The Kame´s house was small, but very neat, with a welcoming atmosphere and also full of great silence. The younger one directed them to the kitchen, where Jin let him sit down on one of the chairs and lit up the lantern hanging from the cellar above the clean table.

“Can you please check on my mother?” Kame requested quietly, after Jin placed the light on the right place. “She should be behind the other door…”

Jin just nodded, went back to the dark corridor and pushed the mentioned door a little, which were slightly open, to peek inside carefully. He didn´t want to scare the woman. But it was all right; all he could see was an old but kind face with the closed eyes and heard a mild regular breathing. The two candles were enlightening the room, but they were still tall enough not to be any danger, so he let them be and closed the door quietly.

“She is…” Jin started the sentence, returning back to the kitchen, but he didn´t finish it.

With the two fast steps he reached Kame, who was doing something at the stove.

“What do you think you´re doing here?” Jin asked sharply, but keeping his voice not to be too loud.

Kame placed the last piece of wood into the furnace and trying to suppress the painful expression unsuccessfully, he turned to the older one.

“Basing a fire... I just need some hot water, so…”

Without another word, Jin caught Kame for both arms and gently moved with the guy forcing him back to the chair.

“Sit here. I´ll do it,” he stated uncompromisingly. “And your mother is all right, she´s sleeping.”

Any resistance would have been meaningless, so Kame just nodded gratefully. Then he watched Jin, as he created the warm flames in the furnace in a few seconds; took his coat off, hang it over the other chair and then turned back to Kame.

“Where do you have some pots? And disinfection and bandages?”

The older one obviously wanted to take care of him, which meant that he would definitely touch him again. And Kame was already tense enough from their painful journey to his house.

“Jin, you don´t have to…” he tried again.

“Yes, I have to,” the other one interrupted him firmly. “Just tell me.”

*

A few minutes later, Jin sat down right next to him, prepared with the hot water, some cloths, bandages, salve and disinfection for his injuries. Kame didn´t protest anymore, when he helped him to take the shirt off, which by that time looked more like a bloody rag.

He heard a suppressed hissing, when the light fell on his skin, where the dark bruises were starting to be visible. Kame still felt each of the kicks which he had received from Grenet´s capers. He was lucky that none of his ribs was broken, at least he thought so. Jin didn´t say a thing this time. Only the look of his eyes became even darker.

Kame avoided those black orbs anxiously, yet his heart started beating faster, when Jin touched his chin gently and with the wet cloth he started to wipe the blood away, which was drying out already.

The broken lip was burning a little in the contact with disinfection, but Kame almost didn´t feel it thanks to the soft touches of Jin´s fingers. After the cruel and painful treatment he received from Grenet, he perceived it even more. First at the face, then at the neck and collarbones, which were stained with the blood as well...

His common sense was telling Kame not to do it, but he simply couldn´t help it. He tore his eyes off the water surface, which was slowly coloring in red, and let them meet with Jin´s, whose serious face was only a few inches from his.

Kame´s mind turned off for a fleeting second; when he lost himself in that warm look full of emotions, which were boiling in them. And when he was able to think again, he already knew. Or better say, he could do nothing else than to admit what was clear to his heart for quite some time.

No matter how hard he tried to deny it, Jin meant much more to him than just an acquaintance in crime. He hadn´t even started to call him a friend and the young gunslinger was already something more than that. Kame could have pretended to the whole world that Jin meant nothing more to him, but he couldn´t lie to himself. He couldn´t make his heart to feel otherwise.

So in addition to all of his current troubles, he voluntarily added this unexpectedly strong affection to the handsome troublemaker.

 _Just great, Kame..._ he scolded himself subconsciously. _Just something what you needed._

A confused expression appeared on Jin´s face. Then the older one let his hands go down slowly, which felt like a horrible loss to Kame, but he didn´t move his eyes away from him.

“What are you thinking about?” Jin asked in a silent voice.

Kame smiled faintly, feeling as if he was caught doing something forbidden.

“Just about how stupid I am…” he said.

A deep frown was added to the confusion of the other one.

“You? Are you kidding?” Jin let the blood-soaked cloth fall into the pot with water. “It´s me; who is a complete idiot here! I was just standing there, staring at the rain, while you were tortured inside!”

Kame blinked surprised with the sudden outburst.

“You didn´t know…” he objected faintly.

“I should have known!” there was an angry reaction. “I should have recognized that Grenet wanted to do something shitty again!”

“Jin... You couldn´t do anything against it anyway…” Kame tried to persuade him, but he took it from the wrong end.

Hearing that, Jin froze in his seat first, with his jaw clenched firmly, and then he jumped up on his feet.

“Then I´ll do something about it now,” he stated and disappeared from Kame´s sight.

Surprised Kame just stared at the empty place for a few seconds. Not being for the fact that furious Jin returned for his coat, stomping across the wooden floor vigorously, the younger one wouldn´t have been able to stop him before he would have run out. Fortunately, with the painful hissing and stumbling heavily, he managed to reach the door right before Jin and stood in front of them with a determined expression.

“Out of my way, Kame,” Jin percolated through his teeth.

But Kazuya didn´t move by inch.

“What do you want to do?”

“Well, let´s see… Beat him up, and then make him to eat his own dick. Something like this,” Jin spitted out his response without thinking.

“And what do you think will come out of it? What will change?” Kame raised his voice as well.

“It will prevent him from hurting you again!” Jin exclaimed.

Kame´s eyes went wide, hearing the strong emotions in the other´s voice. He had no idea what to say for a few silent seconds, during which they were looking into each other´s eyes.

“And will you throw away everything what you´ve accomplished so far?” he asked Jin quietly, when he found his voice again, and continued faster with the each word. “You would have exposed yourself and turned Karnaka against you like this! Will you give up on your goal? What about your revenge? Would you let it go just because of me?”

Jin´s angry expression changed into something, what Kame couldn´t recognize, and he stayed silent for a while. It was like the older one was fighting with his inner self, probably not sure what to say.

“You wouldn´t... Right?” Kame managed to force the words through his narrow throat.

Suddenly, Jin moved closer and leant over the door, putting one hand right next to Kame´s head, and let out a deep depressed breath.

“It´s not only your goal anymore,” Kame continued heavily, as his wounds were letting him know about themselves quite loudly. “I want to see Karnaka dead, too. And you would have destroyed any chance we have for it, if you had attacked Grenet.”

“I know!” Jin reacted irritated, looking at him with burning glance. “But how am I supposed to let what he did to you go so easily?”

At the tone which Jin had used, Kame´s heart almost jumped up into his throat.

“Why do you care so much, Jin?” he asked him slowly, suddenly nervous as hell from the look which the other one was keeping on him.

Jin blinked a few times kind of confused. Kazuya´s question filled him with many various emotions and he didn´t know which one he should choose… Why did he care for the young bartender so much? Just why...?

“What do you mean by this stupid question?” he snapped out a little, pissed by the fact that he was lost about own feelings. And when Jin pulled his hand off the door, it became even worse, as he touched Kame´s naked shoulder slightly and it brought the feeling of pins and needles into his fingers. “Don´t you consider yourself as my friend?” he let the first thing he was able to think of out his mouth.

This time, it was Kame, who was standing there dumbfounded for a moment.

“Of course I do, but...” he tried to continue, but Jin didn´t let him.

“There is not any _BUT_! I take you as a friend, actually the only one in the whole city! I care about you and I don´t want anything bad happen to you! Isn´t it clear enough?”

Jin seemed really angry, so that Kame felt ashamed for his question.

“I´m sorry, Jin,” he apologized, forcing his voice to stay unshaken. “I didn´t want to be rude. It´s just despite us being friends, you shouldn´t waste our chance for revenge. And what Grenet did is not your responsibility...”

Actually, Jin wasn´t sure, why it felt so unbearable to let what happened to Kame go, when the thing he wanted to accomplish the most, was making Karnaka pay for what he did to Yamapi. And for what he created from his father, consequently hurting his mother and little brother.

But seeing the wounds on Kame´s thin body and the pain in his eyes; his otherwise smooth skin damaged badly and bloodily; it made Jin really furious. He was not able to think logically. Moreover, what he wanted to do at the very moment was raising his hands, hugging the guy and keeping him as close as possible, not letting anyone else to touch him, but...

Why did he feel this way? And why was it so strong?

“Well, I think that partially is...” Jin opposed Kame´s previous statement, but he was already giving up the argument. “If you didn´t help me with all of this...”

“Wait,” the younger one interrupted him. “It was my choice, when I stood up against him. And it had nothing to do with you on the first place. So, don´t try to put any blame on yourself. We´ve already discussed this,” Kame said and right after that he leant over the door behind him. The weakness was taking control over him, his knees shaking like a pudding, the head heavy and dizzy.

Of course that Jin noticed that and stepped closer again.

“All right, I know,” he admitted unwillingly. “Come on, I´ll lead you back, before you collapse right here...” Jin took Kazuya around the shoulders gently.

They went back to the kitchen, which was already warmed up by the fire in the stove, and that was good, as Jin felt Kame´s skin under his fingers being so cold. And the younger was also shaking like hell. Kame sat down on the chair heavily, not able to cover his weak state. It was hard to let him go, but Jin did and straightened up.

“You´re right, that I cannot let this chance to slip away,” he said quietly. “I owe it to Yamapi at least.”

Kame met Jin´s eyes, remaining silent, somehow knowing that was not all, what Jin wanted to say.

“I won´t do anything reckless, I promise. Even though it will be damn hard...” he grunted. “But I´ll go back there now, anyway. And before you start to object, I just want to find out what he is up to... What reason did he have to drag you there and...” Jin made a short pause. “And do this to you?”

Kame wondered for a few seconds, if it was safe to tell Jin the truth, but the dark orbs were assuring him, that it was.

“Well, first of all, I hit him the previous evening, when he attacked Lena. She is my very good friend; I take her as a younger sister. She is helping me with my mother a lot. And that bastard wanted to rape her...”

“What?!” Jin was shocked. “How comes I don´t know about this?”

“I had no chance to tell you earlier...” Kame reacted. “So, his capers came for me in front of the saloon, when I finished my work and led me there. But Grenet didn´t want to talk about Lena at all. He wanted to know where the Blackfeet Tribe´s village is, because of that stealing from Karnaka´s fields.”

“You didn´t tell him a thing, I guess,” Jin murmured.

Kame nodded shortly, not really being able to give Jin any details of the beating he got.

“That shitty bastard!” the older one hissed angrily. “I will kick his ass to the moon… One day,” he added hastily, noticing Kame´s strict glance.

“He threw me out of the office because the soldiers were coming and he didn´t want them to see me there...” Kazuya continued. “Otherwise...” he gulped down heavily.

Jin didn´t raise the question, which was burning him on the tip of his tongue. The bad treatment really got under Kame´s skin; who knew what was going on behind that closed door… That cocky son of a bitch should devour that stupid star from his chest...

“Soldiers?” he repeated slowly. “So late? That´s strange...”

“I think so, too,” Kame agreed.

“One more reason to go and find out what´s going on,” Jin was already decided.

Kame let out a tired sigh, but before he could have said anything else, another worried voice was heard in the room.

“Kazuya? What´s going on?”

Both guys turned to the kitchen´s entrance on alert, Jin moving to the side a little and letting also Kame to look at the grey-haired woman covered with a warm scarf. Kazuya´s mother observed Jin by very sharp and careful look at first, narrowing her eyebrows suspiciously, before her eyes fell on her son.

“Kazuya!” she exclaimed terrified. “What happened to you?!”

“I´m all right, Mother,” Kame assured her hastily, worried that his appearance might scare her too much. “Don´t get upset, please!”

“What are you saying, dear?!” Rosie came closer to the table. “You look terrible!”

Jin couldn´t have agreed more with the woman, who was probably woken up by their not-so-quiet conversation. But thanks to it he had a chance to leave.

“I´m sorry for my rudeness, Mrs. Kamenashi, but I have to leave now... Kame, I will let you here with your mother, all right?”

“Jin, please...” the younger one glanced at him worriedly.

“Look, I´ll come back to let you know what I have found out,” he promised. “And I´ll be careful...”

Kame already knew that he was not able to stop the guy and with a heavy heart he just nodded.

“I will be waiting...” he replied.

Jin greeted Kame´s mother politely by moving his head, before he left the room with the fast steps. Hearing the front door closing, Kame had to force himself to stay still.

“Kazuya...” his mother was already sitting opposite to him, on the same place as Jin only a moment ago, and she was observing his face and chest. “Oh, my dear God...” she whispered and then frowned in realization. “Did Math Grenet do this to you?” she asked him in a voice, which was not only worried now, but also angry. And the anger in his mother´s case, that was not good.

“Please, Mum, just promise me you´ll stay calm...” Kazuya urged her imploringly.

“How can I be calm? How can I, when I see my son beaten up by that piece of trash, who calls himself a human?!”

Kame hadn´t seen his mother so upset for a very long time and he didn´t dare to oppose her.

“Is it because of what happened with Lena?” she asked him sharply.

“Yeah, it´s one of the reasons...”

“How could he?!”

“Mum...”

“Do not make this face on me, Kazuya,” she interrupted him firmly and pulled closer the bandages and salve, which was already prepared by Jin, by a rough move. “I´ll go there right in the morning. He has absolutely no right to hurt my son!”

“We cannot afford to stand against him, Mother!” Kame stated so seriously, that Rosie stopped preparing the bandages and looked him in the eyes.

“Why? What did he say?”

Kame uttered a hopeless sigh.

“The truth,” Rosie insisted.

“He said that we should be grateful to Karnaka... For letting us alive,” he said quietly.

His mother stayed still for a while, just repaying Kame´s look.

“I will deal with him somehow, Mum. Just don´t do anything what would make him to hurt you too. I could have never forgiven it to myself...”

Rosie reached out her hand and very gently soothed him across the face. Even though it caused him the pain again, Kame caught the loving hand into his.

“Promise me you won´t go to Grenet.”

His mother sighed in disapproval.

“Mum...”

“I won´t...” she said, but it was clear she was not content with it. “ _That man_ had already caused us too much pain... I can´t believe there´s not any justice to punish him yet.”

She tore her eyes from him to focus on the bandages again, but Kame managed to notice the pain in them. And he had nothing to say to comfort his mother. They both felt the same.

“Is he your friend?” Rosie asked when she started to smear the salve across his painful chest. “That young man?”

Kame observed his mother´s expression carefully.

“Well, something like this...” he responded hesitantly. He didn´t want his mother to be involved in this more than it was necessary.

“I can say that he is...” his mother opposed him on a very convinced tone. “I heard you two. Not everything, but enough to know.”

“I´m sorry we woke you up, Mum,” Kazuya said apologetically.

“No, no, it´s all right,” she assured him and looked into her son´s eyes. “It´s good to know there is somebody who cares about you so much...”

And she continued to treat his wounds carefully, while Kame was watching her wordless.

*

 

With the each step that Jin made towards the sheriff´s office, it was harder to keep the emotions which were swirling in him under control. Even though he promised to Kame he wouldn´t do anything reckless and he intended to hold on to it, somehow it was impossible to make the picture of Kazuya´s bleeding face and the desperate look in his eyes disappear from his head and the more steps he did, the bigger urge for making Grenet pay for that he tortured the young bartender was.

So only the knowing that if he screwed this up, his only chance for a proper revenge for a friend and family would have been gone maybe forever, made Jin let his revolvers in their sheaths, when he reached building and spotted the group of men on the veranda.

“...there in the morning,” Jin caught only the end of the sentence, which was spoken by a tall man in dirty uniform. Jin had already seen him before. According to the braids on his shoulders, it was a captain – the leader of soldiers who were accompanying the surveyors accommodated in Harada´s Saloon. He was in his thirties, quite young for such a high position, with a short beard on his sharp chin and with the light blue eyes. He seemed competent, serious and hardly readable.

“Good night,” the captain made his parting with the sheriff´s deputy and his men, going down to the muddy street.

Jin nodded his head politely for the greeting, when he passed by him and other three soldiers, who seemed quite dirty and even wounded. The man repaid the greeting without a word and continued his way, while Jin approached the veranda, onto which only Grenet stayed, watching him sharply.

“Akanishi...” he said coldly, when Jin made the last steps and stood opposite to him. He kept his voice low as the soldiers were not far away yet. “I think that I´ve told you to watch over him!”

At first, Jin thought that he wouldn´t be able to react normally, that he would just punch him into that ugly face. But the reminder of Kame´s worried look helped him to get control over his emotions. He hid his hands into the pockets anyway, not wanting Grenet to see they were shaking from anger.

“He is barely able to move,” he said on a very dark tone. Something from his state of mind leaked into the voice, but that couldn´t have been prevented. “I doubt he will run anywhere.”

 “That´s good to hear,” Grenet grinned. “He got what he deserved.”

Jin´s hands were turning into the dangerous ice-cold fists. He knew that what he was thinking about could be visible in his eyes. But fortunately, he was standing in such a way that a hat was creating a deep shadow, covering his real state of mind.

“But next time just follow my orders, asshole,” the deputy added and spitted over the veranda. “Let´s go inside. We need to talk.”

It was unbelievably hard to stay still, when Grenet walked by him to the door. So hard that for a moment Jin couldn´t believe he really let him go...

“Do you need a special invitation, greenhorn?” Grenet barked at him from the doorway.

 _One day I will kill you..._ Jin promised to that bastard in his mind. _I swear, I will._

*

 

Kame didn´t say much about what had happened in the sheriff´s office, neither about what Grenet told him and his mother didn´t even want to know more. She understood that their position was dangerous enough even without a reminder of what happened years ago. She knew what they should expect.

Before they moved away from the tribe, she tried to persuade his son not to go right under Karnaka´s nose just because of her. But it was useless, and she knew Kazuya good enough not to try again.

Rosie treated all his wounds the best she could, Kame had to repeat for the ten times that he didn´t need Doctor Best and after he promised he would go to sleep too, she returned to the bed.

Kazuya was full of pain, even though he took the two pills against it. He was tired as hell, but he was sure, that he wouldn´t be able to fall asleep, not with his thoughts running around Jin. He stayed in the kitchen, drinking the hot herbal tea which his mother had prepared and waited anxiously for the smallest sign of someone´s coming to their house.

Despite his worries, Kazuya´s state was so pitiful, that his head started to fall down without him even realizing it. He almost fell asleep on the table, when a silent knock roused him again. He took a small carry-on lantern and walked to the front door slowly, peeking outside carefully.

“I want to kill him.”

Those were the first words of completely wet young man on their doorstep, when the light reached his figure. Well, at least it wasn´t: _I killed him_ , to Kame´s huge relief.

He didn´t want to wake up his mother again, so he went out to veranda, dressed in his spare coat.

“Let´s go to the back, we can talk there,” Kame said quietly and he went there first, much more slowly than usually.

Kame had a tendency to overestimate his strength and this evening was the case too, when his feet slipped in the mud. But a firm hand appeared around his arm to help him, before he could have even wavered. Kame didn´t utter a sound for protest. Why would he, when it was so pleasant to lean on Jin?

They walked around the house to the backyard and Kame led them to the small stable, which he made for Ukushi. The mare landed her eyes on the two, and snorted faintly welcoming them, when they entered.

Kame let Jin take the lantern from his hand and leant over the pole, soothing the animal slowly, while Jin hang the light on the hook near the entrance. Kazuya finished his greeting with Ukushi and turned to the older one´s gloomy face.

“It looks like you don´t have any good news,” he assumed quietly.

Jin took his hat off to let it dry up a little and pushed his hair away from the face by, exposing his worries like that.

“Unfortunately, I don´t.”

“So? What did you find out?” Kame asked, suddenly really tired again.

“That group of surveyors, which is checking the way for the rails, was attacked by some Indians.”

Kame was looking at the handsome face without a word.

“It happened just this evening. The two soldiers were killed during the attack. That´s why their captain came to the office so late. To report it and ask about something.”

“About what?”

“About the local Indian tribes...”

“Oh, no...” Kame breathed out.

“Yes,” Jin confirmed his assumption. “The one who talked with him was Grenet. And he said that _you_ might know where the village of Blackfeet Tribe is.”

“But I´m sure they have nothing to do with this!” Kame stated. “They fight only when they defend themselves. They wouldn´t have attacked them! The Sioux Tribe is the one always causing troubles, their territory is not far away.”

“I´m sorry to tell you this, but I guess the soldiers cannot recognize the difference between them,” Jin reacted. “Your reasoning won´t stop the captain, neither Grenet... They are planning to come for you tomorrow morning and make you to lead them there...”

“I can´t betray them!” Kame said desperately. “I swore to protect the secret of their village... If Grenet finds out, where it is, it´s over for them! Karnaka will kill them all...”

“But you can´t oppose the government soldiers, Kame...” Jin reminded him. “To fight against that fucker is something different.”

“You think that Captain can be worse than Grenet?” Kame reacted ironically.

“In some way, yes,” Jin nodded. “And you know that yourself. Grenet is a bastard and criminal, hiding behind that stupid star. Those soldiers represent the law, they can arrest you. Then they can take you away, to the trial or something... And you can´t leave your mother here, right?”

Yes, Kame knew that. And hearing those words from Jin made it the cruel reality. He couldn´t take it anymore and he let his knees bend and he sat down on the pile of straw. Jin was watching him worriedly.

“What should I do, Jin? I can´t betray the tribe. I can´t oppose the soldiers. And I must not let anything happen to Lena or my mother. What am I supposed to do? If only I could warn them...” Kazuya sighed full of uncertainty and worries.

Jin moved towards him and crouched down.

“How long does it take to get to the village?” he asked slowly.

Kame looked at the guy in front of him.

“The three hours of fast gallop, more or less... Why?”

“I will do it. I will warn them,” Jin stated seriously.

“What?” Kame´s jaw dropped. “That´s not possible... You would have to go right now! And it´s night! You don´t know where it is! And...!” he was flooded with even more worries than before. They stop up his throat so that he couldn´t continue talking.

 “You simply cannot go in your state,” Jin reacted in a surprisingly calm voice. “Not to mention that Grenet said he will send somebody else to watch your house till the morning. So there is only one option.”

“Jin! You can´t imagine what it´s like! It´s too dangerous!”

Letting Jin ride to the tribe alone? At this ugly night? No way...

“Believe me, I´ve already been on dangerous roads...” the other one informed him trying to calm Kame down. “Just describe me how to find it and I will make them leave before you bring the soldiers there. Like this, you won´t betray the tribe, but you fulfill the captain´s request at the same time. And it will make Grenet to shut up too. It will spare the troubles for everyone.”

“But Jin...” Kame forgot the rest of words, when he saw the expression on the other one´s face.

“I want to help you, Kazu... Or do you have any better idea?” Jin asked him.

“No...” he admitted unwillingly.

“Great. So I´ll just take Kuro and...”

“No, wait,” Kazuya started to think properly finally. “Take my Ukushi instead. I will describe you the way the best I can, but you won´t see much in this weather... But it was her home and she will lead you there, when you let her. The tribe will trust you like this too.”

“That´s true, they won´t be very happy from my visit,” Jin assumed.

*

Only a few minutes later they were outside, exposed to the pouring rain, and at the dark, as they left the lantern inside, just to be for sure that no one would spot them. Ukushi was saddled and ready, fortunately quite friendly towards Jin. Kame caught Jin for the elbow, when the older one wanted to get on her.

“Jin... Please, be careful,” he emphasized worriedly.

Jin smiled, moved closer to Kame, put the arm around his shoulders and only very carefully, not to cause him any pain, pulled him close to his own body. Kame hold his breath; feeling the blood rushing up in his veins. It was getting more and more difficult to be so close to Jin and not to lose the common sense in his emotions.

“I will handle it, Kazu, just trust me,” the older one said confidently.

“I do trust you, I´m just worried...” Kame murmured into the cloth of his coat, not really wanting that hug to ever end. But of course that Jin moved away...

The last look they shared was much longer than it had to be, making Kame´s throat very narrow again.

“See you soon,” Jin said in a little raspy voice.

“Good luck,” Kame reacted in an almost the same tone.

Then Jin mounted the mare and gently incited her to move. Kazuya was looking in the direction, in which the rider´s figure disappeared, long after he couldn´t see a thing from him...


	17. At the stake

**K** uro was a Jin´s reliable companion on the roads and faithful friend for already more than three years. The young gunslinger could always rely at him; the proud and persistent animal had never let him down. But on that night, Jin was glad that he agreed with the Kame´s decision and didn´t pick Kuro up from his stable behind Harada´s Saloon. If he had set off on this mission with his own horse, they would have been lost at the second when the last glimpse of the city lanterns disappeared in wet darkness.

Jin knew the roads around Bozeman quite well, thanks to his previous search for a bear, and according to the Kame´s precise description, he was sure at least about a half of correct way to the Indians. The problem was he didn´t _see_ the road in front of him. Or better said, he didn´t see even the tip of own nose.

He was aware that this night task wouldn´t be any walk through the rose garden, when he said that he would go and warn the tribe, and Jin was determined to deal with any related difficulties. But only an hour was enough to clarify, that this was not a good time for wandering through the woods at all.

As it hadn´t stopped raining yet, the sky was only a little brighter than the rest of everything around him and it didn´t allow to his eyes to get used to it. The rider was surrounded by the dark so closely it felt as if he was blind. He had no idea if they were going in the correct direction and the only thing he could do was to trust Ukushi.

The mare was incredibly calm; Jin felt her muscles moving steadily forward, following the way she definitely knew more than him and she didn´t need her eyes for it. Kame was right, that the mare would go and lead their way without doubts. The animal had its instincts, which were beyond human understanding. Not being for Ukushi, Jin could have given this up right away.

Despite it was very unpleasant for him not being able to see where they went, Jin had started to trust the animal quite soon and kept being careful only about the low branches, which could have hit him to the head and throw him out from the saddle.

He was more irritated by the fact it would take much more than the three hours to get to their goal like this. And that was because there was a small detail he didn´t mentioned to Kame, as he didn´t want him to worry even more. Jin was supposed to join Grenet and the soldiers in the morning and travel to the village with them. In this god damned weather, there was no way he could return to the city by the morning.

But Jin didn´t care that he was cold and completely wet at the moment, neither about the problem he would probably have with pissed Grenet and with finding some believable excuse. He wouldn´t have taken his decision back.

The truth was that he wasn´t doing this for the Indians. He was doing it for Kame, and that was worth of any troubles which might come out of it. In any other case, he would have been totally annoyed and angry by this time, but thanks to the focus on Kame Jin stayed calm and patient.

Which was quite surprising... If his late friend had been there, he would have been definitely shocked with this attitude. But Jin didn´t realize that his behavior was quite different from the usual one. That there was something or more like someone, who was changing him...

Jin was rewarded for his patience a little, as after another hour the raining stopped and the sky above him was slowly losing its heavy blanket of dark clouds. Not that it cleared up, but after some time, Jin´s eyes got used to the limited possibilities of his seeing and he could distinguish the trees, bigger stones and narrow path in front of Ukushi, on which she was marching tirelessly. As soon as he realized that he was able to see the three meters ahead, he incited the animal to the trot and they started to proceed much faster.

He even recognized the places, which he had already seen before, but it didn´t take long and they reached the locality, which he didn´t know. From that moment he could only follow Kame´s instructions and Ukushi´s certainty, with which she was heading towards her former home.

It was good for Jin that he needed to focus on the road almost all the time now; it didn´t give him any space to think about how much he would like to spare all these troubles, which could have been achieved so easily. One proper bullet from his revolver into the right head would be more than enough…

But there was something, what he couldn´t forget about so easily - the young bartender. Somehow, Jin´s thoughts kept going back to Kame, even though he should rather figure out how to persuade the Indians to trust his words.

Jin would have never said it aloud, but deep inside he knew why he got so upset over the certain question. That dark anger from seeing Kame injured and that strange but at the same time pleasant feeling in his fingers and stomach, when he touched the younger´s skin… These two things made him to realize that he was undeniably attracted to the beautiful guy; that he had more than just friendly feelings towards Kazuya. It was similar to when he liked some woman, but much stronger. From some reason, he couldn´t deny that urge to protect the bartender; to hug him and hold him close and…

Jin stopped his rushing thoughts at once and squeezed the bridle tighter. It was not normal to think about the other guy like this... But was it wrong to feel it? What would Kame say if he knew?

These and other worries were flooding Jin´s mind, and he almost didn´t realize that the first signs of dawn appeared on the east.  It was Ukushi who tore her rider off his thoughts, when she snorted slightly.

Jin was glad that he didn´t see much at that moment, when he took a look around. They were proceeding on a very narrow path along the huge rock and Jin had a hunch, that it was not a safe view down to the valley, from where he could hear a sound of falling water. He was relieved when they overcame this part and proceeded to the natural alley of young oaks.

Then he noticed something unusual in front of them, even before he had realized the dawn was coming. It was the small orange spot among the regular dark shapes – the rest of fire in the middle of circle of wigwams.

First Jin even thought that he fell asleep on the animal and he was dreaming. But when a tall sinewy figure popped up behind a nearby tree, aiming with an arrow at his chest, it was clear that he was more than awake.

Jin managed to reach the Blackfeet Tribe´s village and their watch had just spotted him.

***

 

It felt like somebody placed the two heavy stones on his eyelids and he didn´t have the strength to take them away and open his eyes. But the loud sounds, which woke him up from the restless sleep, into which he fell very late in the night or better said very early in the morning, didn´t seem to stop anytime soon and they made him to overcome his aversion towards facing the reality.

Somehow Kame forced himself to raise the eyelids slightly, leant over his hands and wanted to get up from his bed. His beaten up muscles and bones protested so loudly, that he was just able to curl up on his side, gasping for a breath. Who would have said that the pain from the beating could get even worse?

The banging stopped and it was replaced by some muted voices. When he heard his mother among them, Kame put himself together, didn´t pay attention to pain and firstly sat on and then stood up from the bed. With some difficulties he was able to reach the door.

It was tough to go straight, but he clenched his teeth and got out of his room in the back part of their house. The narrow corridor was flooded with the faint daylight. It wasn´t so early in the morning, but the heavy clouds about the city only started to move away.

In the door, the small figure of his mother was creating a dark shadow and in front of them, Kame spotted the blue uniform.

“We apologize for intrusion, Madam, but we wouldn´t have bothered you, if it wasn´t an urgent case...” Kame heard the tall man on their veranda, as he went towards them as steadily as he could.

“I still don´t understand what my son has in common with an ambush of your unit,” Rosie stated on a very persistent tone.

“That´s what we would like to solve with him directly,” there was a response.

“But...” the woman took a breath for another question.

“It´s all right, Mother,” Kame said in a quiet voice, when he finally reached the door and placed the hand on his mother´s shoulder. “Good morning, Captain Walker. How can I help you?”

The uniformed man nodded his head in the greeting too.

“I wish it was a good morning, Kamenashi,” he said and knitted his eyebrows together, when Kame went forward and his beaten face became visible. “Unfortunately, I didn´t come to your house for any polite visit, but first... What happened to you?”

Kame didn´t intend to tell the truth from the very beginning and seeing Brad, who probably led the captain and his two men to their house, standing under veranda only reminded him, that he was supposed to keep his mouth shut about what had happened the previous evening.

“We had a little disagreement in the saloon last night,” he said then. “It´s nothing serious...”

“Glad to hear that as I came to request for your assistance,” the captain responded, but he didn´t seem convinced by Kame´s statement. “The sheriff´s deputy informed me that you know about the local Indian´s tribe location. Is that true?”

There was no point in denying this fact, but it didn´t mean that it was easier for Kame, while he knew what would follow.

“Yes, I know where their village is. But why do you need this information, Captain?”

“As you probably know, we supervise the surveyors during checking of the planned track for railway. And we were ambushed by the group of Indians yesterday,” the man stated in a very serious tone. “Two of my men were killed.”

“I´m sorry to hear that but I´m pretty sure that the Blackfeet Tribe has nothing to do with this attack,” Kame said as convincingly as he could.

“Why do you think so?” Walker pierced him with a sharp glance.

“Their tribe is very peaceful, Captain. I can´t even imagine they would do something like that.”

“That´s possible, but I´m sure you understand we have to investigate this issue thoroughly.”

“Then you should start with the Sioux Tribe,” Kame proposed. “It´s far more probable you were attacked by them. Didn´t you recognize the attackers?”

“I´m sorry, Kamenashi, but all Indians seem the same to me...” the captain said using honestly apologetic tone. “And no matter if the Blackfeet Tribe is responsible for the deaths of my men or not, I have to question them. Maybe they know something more, for example about the Sioux which you mentioned. Do you agree with that?”

Kame uttered an unsatisfied sigh. Captain Walker was calm and reasonable, but opposing him right now would have brought only more problems.

“Yes, I do...”

“So, I would like to ask you to bring us to them, as soon as possible.”

“Wait a minute, Mr. Captain...” his mother included herself into the conversation again. “My son is brave, but he was seriously hurt last night and he won´t go anywhere without a proper medical examination.”

The captain looked at the woman seriously and kept silent for a while, before checking up on the Kame´s appearance again.

“All right, then. I have to admit you don´t look well at all...” Walker stated not covering the suspicion in his voice. He probably didn´t believe Kame´s excuse, but he didn´t ask about that again. “Let yourself to be checked first. We will set off right after the noon. Is that convenient enough, Madam?“

His mother blinked surprised by the captain´s politeness and nodded her head slightly.

“Yes, thank you for your consideration, Captain Walker.”

Kame just stood there saying nothing; amazed by the fact that his dear old mother was able to negotiate this delay. Like this it was highly possible that the tribe would be long gone before they got there.

“Do you have a horse, young man?” the captain asked him.

Kame´s throat became tighter hearing it.

“Well, unfortunately my mare got hurt recently and...”

“Never mind,” the captain interrupted him. “You can borrow one of ours. We have two spare ones now, anyway...”

“Oh, all right... Thank you, Captain.”

“Let´s set up the meeting place at the sheriff´s office. See you then,” Walker saluted to both mother and son and left their doorstep with the long steady steps, the two soldiers and frowning Brad following him.

As soon as their door was closed, Kazuya hugged his mother tightly, even though it made his wounds to hurt more.

“Thank you, Mum,” he whispered into her ear.

Rosie was surprised by his gratitude, but repaid her son´s hug carefully.

“I have to take care of my dearest son, if he can´t do it himself,” she said almost sadly, when Kame moved away from her. “I´ll make some breakfast for us and then I´ll see you to Dr. Best.“

“But you don´t have to go with me, Mum…“

“No excuses!“ Rosie said sharply.

“Are you sure you´re feeling well?“ he was really worried; his mother was very weak and she could fall apart at the most unexpected moment, even though she seemed doing fine for almost a week now.

Rosie put a hand on his wounded face gently, soothing him lovingly across the bruised face.

“Seeing this, I feel well enough to kick that bastard´s ass,“ she stated firmly and Kame´s eyes widened.

“Mum!“

“What? Did you think I know no bad words?“ she smiled with that kind of smile, which was pulling out very old memories in both of them. “Let´s go, you must be hungry.“

With a smaller amount of worries in heart, Kame let his mother lead him into their kitchen.

***

 

Jin supposed that it would be difficult to persuade the Indians from Blackfeet Tribe to believe him and move away from their precious village. But he didn´t expect such stubbornness…

At first, the over-motivated guards almost created an arrow hedgehog from him, even before he could dismount from the mare. He had to put his precious revolvers away, or better said let them fall on the ground, and keep his empty hands up before they even started to listen to him.

Unfortunately, the two guarding Indians didn´t seem to like his English speaking, so they just forced him down from the horse´s back and then one of them pushed Jin roughly towards the pueblo, while the other took the Ukushi´s bridle to lead her behind.

Then they tied him up to the tall stake, didn´t pay any attention to his requests for speaking with their Chief and disappeared in one of the wigwams. It took almost half an hour and when they finally appeared again, the sun had already showed up in the east and showered the peaceful village with the first beams of real light. Of course, now when he didn´t need it anymore, the nice weather came...

At that time, Jin was already furious from such a useless waste of time and if the stares could kill, the two guarding Indians would have collapsed on the spot. But then he focused his eyes on the third red man, who was coming with them. It was Manipi.

“Hell, no…“ Jin murmured, feeling quite pessimistic about his possibilities.

As he remembered, the last time they saw each other, the Tribal Chief´s son didn´t like him much. He couldn´t expect any friendly behavior from him.

All three Indians stopped in front of Jin and the muscular leader pierced him with his eyes.

“I´m not your enemy,“ Jin said as calmly as he was able to. “I came here to warn you. If you just…“

“How is that White Face find this place?“ Manipi interrupted him pretending that Jin didn´t say anything.

“Kame told me where to find your village,“ he responded, suppressing his annoyance.

Manipi frowned.

“Kame?“ he repeated questioningly.

“Yes. He told me where to find you and he...” to Jin´s surprise the Indian´s expression turned into even more unsatisfied and he stopped Jin in the middle of sentence again.

“Hmph!“ he huffed out angrily. “White Face tell lies! He would never betray us! How you find us?!”

“He didn´t betray you, damn it!” Jin exclaimed quite pissed already. “He is trying to save you!”

Manipi let his palm rest on the handle of his knife behind the waist belt and came even closer to Jin, who couldn´t fight back.

“You should tell truth, White Face,” Indian hissed. “This warning is.”

Jin gritted his teeth and held more bad words back behind his lips; it wouldn´t help him if he let the anger to control his actions now. When he was trying to figure out any other way how he could persuade the stubborn red man, the familiar voice was heard, speaking in the Indian language. Jin looked in that direction immediately, hoping that... Yes, it was Liwan.

“Thank God!” he breathed out seeing the tall guy. “Would you be so kind and explain to that mountain of muscles that I´m here to help your tribe? He just doesn´t listen!”

The shaman´s son came closer and asked something in that weird language of theirs again. Manipi started to complain angrily and Jin had a hard time to be patient. Liwan asked more questions and then he firmly pushed the other Indian back a little, stepping right between him and Jin.

“How you got here and why?” he asked in a serious voice.

Jin overturned his eyes to the heaven.

“Why me?” he breathed out, not really expecting any reaction.

Then he started to explain everything for one more time, very fast and urgently.

“Kazuya told me where to find your village. He is injured, that´s why he couldn´t come himself. He even borrowed his mare to me; it was she, who found it here basically. Your village is in danger, you can´t stay here. You have to leave as soon as possible. Soldiers and Grenet´s men are coming and...”

Liwan´s eyes went wide after those words.

“What?! Wait a little! Why? What happened?”

“I will explain everything in details, but it would be very nice if you put these ropes away,” Jin fidgeted in the uncomfortable position.

Liwan was eyeing him uncertainly, and Manipi behind his back added some murmured disagreement.

“Damn it, just trust me in this, we are wasting time here!” Jin raised his voice again. “Just ask those guys, I have the Kazuya´s mare with me!”

Liwan turned to the guards, who caught him before, and asked something. The response was positive, so he turned back to Jin.

“You could steal it...” Liwan´s reaction was.

“What?!” Jin was almost baffled. “Are you kidding? I didn´t!”

“What is her name then?” Indian asked him, still being too suspicious.

“Ukushi,” he answered firmly. “Did I pass your test?”

*

It was almost unbelievable, but Jin persuaded them in the end.

Liwan set him free from that stupid stake, despite the Manipi´s loud objections and he led him to the Tribal Chief. The old Indian observed Jin, who sat down in front of him inside the biggest wigwam in the village, for a while before he asked him to speak. Flying Feather listened to the whole story through Liwan, who translated this time. And then he kept silent with his eyes closed for such a long time, that Jin was getting impatient again. But somehow, he kept his mouth shut.

Finally, the Chief looked at Jin again and reacted through Liwan´s translation.

“We have no reason to run,” Flying Feather stated in a calm voice. “That attack is not our responsibility. I believe that a group of warriors from Sioux Tribe is behind it. Some of them went over our territory recently.”

Jin forced his palms to stay on his knees, despite he would like to break something instead, and spoke again, even more urgently this time.

“Kazuya thinks it´s like this as well. And maybe the soldiers will be interested in the truth, but I don´t think they will make any differences between your tribe and Sioux´s. They need to find the culprit, so they are able to put the whole blame on you. They may keep you under the arrest or even worse... And even if they believe you, your tribe will have more troubles with Raynold Karnaka for sure.”

The dark shadow made the Chief´s face to look almost terrifying.

“Why? Why is _that man_ included in this?”

“Because it was that fucker´s idea to go after your tribe on the first place!” Jin was starting to be more aware of each minute spent there without any progress and it made him feel desperate.

“Fucker?” Liwan asked him confused.

“Math Grenet, Karnaka´s right hand and the sheriff´s deputy,” Jin explained spitting the name out like something disgusting. “Evidently, there was some theft on Karnaka´s lands and Grenet´s task is to stop this from repeating once and for all... To prevent your tribe from stealing again and...”

“We just take what belongs to us!” the shaman´s son didn´t let Jin to continue. “Karnaka is the thief!”

Flying Feather scolded the younger Indian just with one sharp word, to remind him that he let himself be carried away. Liwan lowered his head apologizing to the Chief and then he turned to Jin again, obviously irritated.

“Look, I didn´t come here to judge you or whatever,” Jin assured him. “I´m here, because I promised to Kame I´ll warn you... Is that clear?”

Liwan nodded shortly and Jin continued hastily.

“So, of course that Kazuya didn´t cooperate with Grenet...” this time, Jin´s hands turned into the fists subconsciously, when he remembered the scene of the young bartender falling into mud. “And then the deputy told the soldiers that he knows where to find you. And now Kazuya has to lead them here, even though he doesn´t want to! And Grenet with his men is coming along with them.”

“Kazuya will keep the promise,” Liwan translated the Chief´s reaction after the short time they were discussing something. “He won´t...”

Jin hit with his fist to the blanket, which he was sitting at.

“You just don´t listen!!” he exclaimed so loudly that almost immediately the four armed Indians, who were guarding outside till that moment, ran inside the wigwam to protect their Chief.

But the old man sent them away strictly and looked at pissed Jin again, gesturing him to go on.

“Don´t you know how it works?” Jin continued more quietly, as he didn´t like the view on all those arrows and knives at all. They could be a little nicer after he gave them that huge bear... “Kazuya cannot oppose the government soldiers, not when some of them were killed. They would have arrested him, considering him as a traitor. Not to mention that Grenet is quite persistent to find about your village´s location too... He has no other choice but to lead them here. That´s why he sent me to warn you and keep you safe! He doesn´t want to betray your tribe, but in this situation what can he do?”

*

Liwan understood what that Akanishi guy meant by his words. And he was worried for his dear friend getting into such a problematic situation. What surprised him was the amount of worries in Akanishi´s words and expression and that furious anger he revealed in front of them...

Why was this guy involved so much? He was a stranger to them and to Kazuya, too. He didn´t know him longer than a few weeks. But despite that the gunslinger behaved as his friend; coming to their village during the ugly night, just to warn them, just because their young white brother needed help... It was the same as with that bear before. Brothers from his tribe almost didn´t believe him, when Liwan informed them about the circumstances under which they gained the valuable carrion.

Jin Akanishi obviously cared for Kazuya a lot…

Liwan postponed the thinking about that strange bear hunter for later and translated his words to the Chief, adding his own opinion. Flying Feather believed what Akanishi told them, he could say by just looking at his leader. But Flying Feather didn´t seem to agree with the plan to leave the village yet...

Liwan knew why. Their Chief hated running away all the time. He cared deeply for their tribe, for the safety of their women and children. But bowing in front of White Faces all the time, stepping back, leaving them to hunt and kill and do whatever they wanted on the lands of their ancestors... It was inevitable and he hated that. But they couldn´t have fight against it. Not without a very high price for any proud resistance.

If it was on Liwan´s decision, he would have ordered to start the preparations for the soon departure to their winter safe place right away. But it was not on him to decide, and he would follow whatever their Chief said to do…

***

 

Kame had a hard time to hold back the cries of pain, when Dr. Best was examining him thoroughly. It was quite a relief, when he was allowed to sit on the bed inside the surgery room of the clinic and dress his shirt again.

The doctor wrote something down into his medical records and then the man pierced Kame with the very serious eyes.

“You can´t fool me, Kamenashi,” he said. “There was no such serious fight in the saloon last night. Who did beat you up like this?”

Kame repaid the doctor´s glance, but didn´t respond.

“Look, young man... I don´t even need to hear it to know, whose _credit_ this is.”

“Why do you ask me then?” Kame reacted quietly.

Dr. Best frowned in a very disapproving way. Then he turned away and started to search through the medical cabinet.

“This is starting to be too much... There has to be something what can be done to stop our _dear deputy_ from doing things like this,” the man murmured while he was picking up between the two doses.

Kazuya remained silent. He was afraid that he could say something, what the doctor didn´t need to know.

“Fortunately, it seems that no rib was broken,” Dr. Best informed him then, turning back again. “But you were damn lucky, boy. According to those bruises, I´m quite amazed it´s not worse. But I think you had a slight concussion. You should stay in bed for the two days at least, to rest and not overdo yourself.”

“I´m sorry, Doctor, but that´s not possible...” Kame said.

“I´ve heard from your mother,” Dr. Best uttered. “That Indian attack, the captain´s request... How can I take care of your injuries properly then?”

Kame was just looking at him, without any word.

“All right,” the doctor gave up any next objections. “Take these, the pills against pain. Only two per day, not more, they are strong. And be careful! If you feel dizzy, get down from the horse and sit somewhere until it goes away.”

Kame took the small dose from the doctor´s hand hesitantly.

“How much does it cost, Dr. Best?” he asked quietly. “I´m not sure if I can pay for it right away... Those pills for my mother were...”

Doctor raised his hand up to stop Kame´s other words.

“You will pay next time... Now go home and try to sleep at least for two hours. You won´t be allowed to have more rest, I guess...”

Kame was very grateful to the old man and his good heart and pressed his hand firmly, when the doctor showed him off to the door, behind which his mother was waiting.

*

 

“Where the fuck is that little jackass?!” the Grenet´s angry voice could be heard through the open door outside on the muddy street, across which Kame was proceeding slowly, trying to avoid the biggest deep brown puddles full of annoying material.

His mother went to Franko´s Store to buy something for him to eat on the road, even though he tried to persuade her it was not necessary. So he was going home alone.

“I don´t know, boss...” the Brad´s response was not that loud, but Kame caught it either way.

The young bartender checked out his nearest surroundings for other Grenet´s men, but none was in sight. He stepped closer and stayed close to the wall, hidden in front of the eyes from inside.

“What do you mean, you _don´t know_?!” the deputy was obviously very pissed. “I told him he is going with us!”

Kame stiffened on his spot hearing that. Jin didn´t tell him anything about this...

“We searched everywhere, boss!” Brad defended himself. “He is nowhere to be found, I swear! But his horse is still in the stables, so he didn´t leave the city.”

“Fine! Find him then!” the loud thud on the table followed, as the angry fist hit over it.

“But, boss...” Brad tried to object something.

“I said find him!”

“Yes, boss...”

Kame left his spying spot as fast as he could, before someone would notice him. Jin didn´t say anything about that Grenet´s order deliberately, he was sure about that. He didn´t want to give Kame more arguments to talk him out of his idea.

And now Grenet was looking for him. Their only luck was that Kuro remained on his place, so they didn´t suspect Jin from leaving somewhere, where he was not supposed to be. But that could have changed in no time.

Kazuya could only hope that the young gunman will appear in the city before their planned departure. Otherwise, it looked like that Jin would be in serious troubles...

***

 

The gathering in front of Sheriff´s Office was almost complete. The soldiers unit was ready on their horses and there was one more for Kame, as Captain Walker promised. There were also the five Grenet´s men, smoking cigarettes in the small circle, throwing disrespectful glances at the soldiers and waiting for their boss, who came out from the building, just when Kame reached the place walking very carefully.

He had already gulped one pill from Dr. Best down. It helped against pain, but he couldn´t rest anyway. The more time passed, the more nervous Kame was. Jin wasn´t back yet and it was already after noon. What if something had happened to him?

“At least our pretty guide is here, great!” a cynical voice welcomed him.

Kame avoided looking at that bastard for all costs. He wasn´t sure with himself; he didn´t know how he would be able to behave calmly, if he gave the deputy even one glance. He felt the disgusted shaking inside his stomach, just hearing that man talking.

Captain Walker wearing the uniform, which was perfectly cleared from all the previous dirt, stepped closer to Kame.

“Everything all right?” he asked. “Are you able to ride?”

The answer on that question was definitely _no_ , but that was not something what the captain wanted to hear and Kame appreciated that the soldier even bothered to ask.

“Dr. Best gave me some pills; I am fine. Thank you for asking, Captain.”

Even though Kame tried not to pay attention to it, with the corner of his eye he noticed that Grenet smirked in a quite ugly way.

“All right. Here, this is your horse for now,” Walker pointed out at the dark brown well-shaped stallion. “It is a calm animal, you shouldn´t have any problems with him.”

Kame just nodded thankfully.

“Mr. Grenet, are your men ready to go?” the captain turned to the deputy.

“Almost,” Grenet hissed through the lips, which were holding the cigarette. “There is just one idiot missing...”

Captain Walker raised his eyebrows questioningly, while Kame rather focused his attention to getting acquainted with the horse.

“So, you want to wait for somebody else? I think you have quite enough of your men with you...” there was no disrespect in the captain´s question, but Kame could tell that the man didn´t consider so numerous escorts as necessary.

The slippery smile appeared on the deputy´s face.

“Well... It seems we don´t have to wait anymore...”

Kame stiffened hearing that and it took him a lot of efforts not to express his excitement, when he also noticed the two figures heading towards them. It was obviously annoyed Brad and behind him... Jin leading his Kuro for a bridle and yawning widely.

“Great,” the captain reacted shortly and headed to his own horse.

A ton-heavy stone fell from Kame´s heart seeing Jin alive and all right. Grenet stepped down from the veranda and made a few steps to stop right in front of Jin, who looked at him with the empty expression.

“Where the fuck have you been?” the deputy percolated through his teeth.

An innocent expression appeared on the handsome gunslinger´s face.

“Where would I be? In the brothel,” Jin said and opened his mouth in a wide yawn again.

Grenet stared at him as at some new species, while Brad avoided his boss hastily, joining his colleagues.

“In the brothel?” the deputy repeated slowly.

“Yes, and what?” Jin asked.

“Where exactly? Brad searched for you there, didn´t you, Brad?”

“Yes, boss,” there was a murmured response.

Jin shrugged.

“I wasn´t downstairs, but in the room of one of the girls...”

“What was her name?” Grenet continued his interrogation.

“I don´t remember...” the young guy seemed almost bored by all those questions.

“You don´t remember...” the deputy´s voice had a big warning included. “And _do_ you remember, that I told you yesterday, we were going to set off in the morning?!”

For Kame´s amazement, Jin smiled.

“Actually yes, but sorry, it was tiring... I overslept,” he replied.

Grenet spitted the cigarette out, without even dousing it and nudged Jin into his chest.

“We are going to discuss this later, greenhorn,” he hissed into his face. “Now get up on that fucking horse and let´s go!”

The stare with which Jin basically killed Grenet, as soon as the man turned his back to him, revealed a clear image about what he thought about the deputy and his bad talking about Kuro.

Captain Walker, who didn´t pay a lot of attention to the discussion between Grenet and his subordinate, already gave the order for leaving the place and the Grenet´s men followed the blue unit. Kame had to inhale deeply and spend a lot of his strength to get on the horse´s back, too.

“And you´re going to watch over our pretty face!” Grenet yelled at Jin, when he jumped up on his animal. “We don´t want him to get lost in the woods, right?”

Jin said nothing to it, just mounted patiently waiting Kuro.

The soldiers had already incited their horses to move. They were supposed to go first, following Kame´s instructions, who rode after them. Grenet and his men were closing the row.

Jin waited for Kame to reach him and they exchanged one short look from eyes to eyes.

When Kazuya was closer to the other guy now, he could see that Jin´s eyes were totally worn-out and their expression was worried. He couldn´t guess the result of his night journey, neither could he ask the older one about it with Grenet breathing on their backs. And Jin didn´t dare to give him any sign, which could give Kame a clue about if the tribe was all right or not, when the deputy was paying him quite a big attention at the moment. They had to wait for a better opportunity.

So without any word, they kept their horses side to side and set off after the soldiers, both being very careful about not looking at the other one anymore...


	18. Surprising outcome

**T** he water gathered after many rainy days was vaporizing sunder the delicate touch of the autumn sun, creating the white haze under the trees and making the air so damp it was difficult to breathe it in. Some small birds left their hiding places early in the morning, but didn´t stop welcoming the warmness even after hours of the day passed irretrievably, and their happy singing was completing the relaxing atmosphere of the green forest.

When they went through the localities, on which mostly the deciduous trees had their territory, it was obvious that the colorful season was coming to its end inevitably, as almost all leaves had already fallen from their original spot to the ground, where they started to rot, repeating their annual cycle according to the unchanging rules. But otherwise, Jin would have sworn that the summer had just returned.

It was like the nature was mocking to him. After that crazy wet night, which made his journey to the tribe quite difficult, he had to spend a beautiful day like that in the damn humid rainforest with that bastard Grenet annoying him every five minutes. The young gunslinger felt unpleasantly hot, also sleepy as hell, the clothes were clinging to his skin, and his brain was swirling in the slow circles inside the firm walls of its skull. Not being for the steady movement of Kuro, which gave him certainty and for the slim figure riding beside him, Jin would have just turned around and went back to Bozeman right into his bed.

When he returned to the city, as inconspicuously as was only possible he took Ukushi back to her shed, but didn´t dare to check on Kame because he would have to go through the main street. He went to the saloon right away, where Mr. Harada informed him, that quite a furious search for him was ongoing since the very morning. So Jin just changed his clothes in a hurry and rushed to the stalls, where he almost crashed into Brad, who was still looking for him.

During the shower of complaints and vulgarisms, Jin found out that their departure was postponed because of a certain whining-girly-bartender, who spent eternity at the Dr. Best´s clinic. Jin´s stomach clutched into a little ball, when he heard the word ´doctor´ in the connection with Kame and later seeing the younger one´s difficulties with getting up on the horse didn´t ease up his worries. His own timing was almost perfect thanks to this delay, but that didn´t mean it made Jin to feel better.

He had no chance to tell Kame how it went at the tribe and he wasn´t sure what he should tell him anyway. The Chief believed him in the end, but he didn´t seem to agree with Jin´s recommendation to leave the village immediately. But at least Liwan did, so Jin hoped that the young shaman persuaded the old Indian boss somehow to prevent the tribe from useless troubles.

Well, they were supposed to find the result of his night trip out soon... Even though they proceeded through the forest by the calm pace, Jin expected that he would see the Indian wigwams again in less than two hours.

He dared to steal a glance at Kame, who said nothing except the instructions to keep the riders in the correct direction. The bartender was pale, except the places which were covered with the dark bruises, and he kept his eyes firmly on the road in front of them. He was tense, holding the bridle rather uncertainly and Jin realized Kame had to be in pain, even though he was covering it.

After a few minutes, their group reached the narrow path above the steep slope and there was a sharp turn at the same time. Jin took this chance as soon as he noticed that he couldn´t see the four riders in front of him thanks to that difficult place. Moreover Grenet had his smoking pause shortly before that and he and the others were a few meters behind them. Jin incited Kuro to go first and as soon as he took the turn, he turned his head back.

Kame appeared behind him only two seconds after and his eyes looked at him with a clear question.

“I did my best, but the Chief didn´t want to leave the village,“ Jin whispered hastily.

A deep worry made Kazuya´s face even gloomier.

“I hope that Liwan will persuade him; he had the same opinion as you,” he added something at least a little more optimistic. “I´m sorry.”

Kazuya shook his head hearing the Jin´s whispered apology.

“Thank you for trying,“ he indicated by his mouth soundlessly, as Grenet´s capers were really close.

Jin already spotted the head of the first horse in the turn behind Kame´s back, so he turned forward again, hoping nobody noticed their small talk.

*

They continued riding through the woods quite slowly, which surprised Jin a little. But despite Grenet´s never ending complaints that their journey would take forever like this, Captain Walker leading their group didn´t give any order for the faster progress, keeping the instructions which Kame gave him without any problems so far. It was almost like they were on some peaceful ride in the nature, instead of marching to the Indian tribe with the intention to accuse them from a murder.

When Grenet couldn´t bear it anymore, he used the wide clearing to rush forward on his horse and ask the captain for a reason, why the hell they´re proceeding more slowly than a drunk snail. Both Jin and Kame heard a very calm response of the uniformed man, when he said it´s not necessary to rush and attract more attention, because of the high possibility of the hostile Indians attack. Grenet huffed something about how he would have shot any attackers down in one minute, but surprisingly he didn´t argue with the captain, stopped the horse and waited for the back part of their procession to join his men.

But when Jin and Kame were passing by, Grenet suddenly incited his horse and stopped Kame´s one by snatching after the bridle. So far calm stallion stomped on the spot surprised by the sudden and rough move, and Jin froze seeing Kame gasping for breath, his face going even paler than on the start of their journey.

“I´ve heard you went to see our doc,“ Grenet hissed. “How the examination went, huh? You don´t look very well, baby boy,“ he smirked mockingly.

Kuro was already standing motionless, even without Jin´s order, and he shear with his ear hearing the rude voice. Jin was staring at the deputy from the shadow of his hat, clenching the bridle in both hands.

“Let that bridle go…“ Kame´s voice was very silent, but so overfilled with disgust, that it sounded as if he would spite the words out.

Grenet´s following smile was something what brought a very bad feeling into Jin´s stomach.

“Looks like we are far from being done with your lessons… If I find out that you are holding us off on purpose, you´re gonna get the next one in a blink of the eye. Is that clear, baby boy?“

Jin could see how Kame´s jaw stiffened suppressing some probably not very polite reaction. The younger one said nothing at all, but his expression told Jin enough. During their previous confrontation, Grenet had crossed a line, which was too much to accept for the bartender and he had the hard time to keep his anger from bursting out now.

Finally, with an awful smirk, Grenet released his grip on the bridle, so that they could move on. Jin would love to point out that bastard himself was the one holding them back, but unfortunately it was wiser to keep silent, just as Kame did...

*

After another hour of riding up the hill covered with young spruces, the path suddenly ended as they reached the unexpected edge of the cliff and the view which appeared right in front of their eyes was so breathtaking, that even Grenet and his gunmen stopped their horses and stared at it in astonishment.

At that moment Jin was really glad that he had passed through that part of the journey to the tribe in the dark… He didn´t see it yet, but he was quite sure there was a secret path going around the rock, which led to the small forest between the mountains and then to the Blackfeet Tribe itself. And with what he saw below them, it was a trip only for very calm and brave people.

The wide dark-green valley showered with the warm sun beams was cut in half by the fast stream, which looked just like a thin sparkling thread from their distance. Right under the cliff, on which they were standing, there was a small mountain of fallen stones, which gathered there during the years. And all of this was at least six or seven hundred meters under them.

When Jin kept looking down there for too long, he started to feel dizzy. Just one step in the wrong way and it was possible to fly for a few last seconds of that person´s life span and then… Bye, bye, precious life.

“What the fuck is this?!“

The angry exclaim made Jin to tear his eyes from the awesome and scary view. It was Grenet, of course, who grew bored of the scenery a while ago and now he approached Kame again.

“What do you think you´re doing? Leading us to the end of the world?“ the deputy snapped at the bartender angrily.

Kame moved back in the saddle of the borrowed horse a little, surprised by the sudden outburst.

“No, this is the correct way, Grenet,” he tried to explain. “We just have to…“

But Kame´s voice was interrupted by the sudden shout of one soldier: “Look out! Indians!“

Suddenly, the air filled with the sharp sounds of guns being taken out of their sheaths and preparation of triggers.

*

Kame almost freaked out seeing the lethal weapons in both groups´ hands - the rifles held by soldiers, the bows by red men who stepped out of thick bushes on the right side of the cliff. For a second he was sure that this whole unexpected meeting would end up in the bloody mutual killing and he was ready to jump into the space between both sides in the desperate attempt to stop them, when everybody´s attention was caught by the tall man in uniform, who rushed forward still sitting on his horse, but with both hands empty in the air alongside his hat.

“Don´t shoot! I repeat – don´t shoot!“

His strong order belonged to his own men, the empty hands to the Indians. Both Kame and Jin stared at the scene from the back, behind four soldiers, stiffened with tension. Grenet´s capers already had their guns in hands too.

“Lower your weapons!“ the next order was heard.

“Captain?“ one of the Walker´s subordinates spoke up questioningly. “Are you sure?“

“As I said, Lieutenant!“ the captain´s voice was very firm this time and all of his men obeyed right away.

Only Grenet and other gunmen remained armed. Captain Walker raised his voice towards the threateningly silent Indians.

“We just need to talk with your leader! A few questions! No harm! Do you understand?!“

A keen silence was responding him.

Kame incited his horse to move with the intention to talk with Indians in their language, but almost immediately, there was somebody to block his way with another animal.

“No fucking move,” Grenet hissed at him.

“I just want to translate!” the bartender reacted annoyed.

“That won´t be really necessary, right? We don´t need them to understand, we just need to find their precious village…” the deputy´s face was one huge grin, which made Kame sick.

“Can any of you speak English?!” another calling from the captain came.

Kame was ready to push Grenet out of his way and go there before any unnecessary misunderstanding occurs, but then the bushes shook again and another Indian appeared almost right in front of the captain´s horse.

“I can,” he stated calmly.

Kame breathed out with relief, Grenet just frowned unsatisfied.

Since that moment Captain Walker and the Indian, who was nobody else than Liwan, spoke more quietly, so the words didn´t reach their ears. Everybody was waiting, watching Indians still on alert, as if they were statues. Then Captain finished talking and even turned to the Indians by his back. At the same moment the bows disappeared and their owners with them in the shadows of the trees.

“We´re staying here!”

The next captain´s words surprised everyone, but none of his men questioned them and started to settle down only a little further from the woods and the cliff´s edge. The captain himself rode between them and stopped his horse in front of the sheriff´s deputy.

“You and your men car rest too, Grenet. They will bring their Chief here,“ the tall man said seeming quite satisfied with himself.

“Whaaat?“ Grenet´s reaction cut through the air.

Kame was not able to react anymore, as he was overfilled with relief, that they wouldn´t march to the village directly, at least not for the moment and Jin was too busy to cover a wide gleeful grin, which was sneaking up to his face hearing the captain´s statement. Liwan didn´t look like a smartass at first sight, but if _this_ was figured out by him, Jin promised to himself to show some respect to the Indian next time. As far as he could remember, the village was not far away from this place, but not so close to be discovered easily. So like that, Indians were cooperative, but at the same time they kept their secret place hidden.

“Calm down, deputy,” Walker said, calm as the frozen water surface. „For now, we just need to interrogate them. There´s no need to infiltrate their village, if they cooperate.”

“You believe them?!” Grenet exclaimed. „They are just a bunch of sneaky redskins, Walker! What if they went for the rest of their ugly buddies and they will ambush us from behind, then what?!”

Captain´s expression was very cold, when he responded: „We will be prepared then. And we will have the evidence of their evil intentions. But their speaker seemed like a reasonable man and I do believe he will keep his word.”

Grenet just gritted his teeth furiously, while Kame and Jin enjoyed the view at the pissed deputy and a nice surprise, that Captain Walker was not such a blinded government servant as most of the soldiers who came to the West.

Jin focused his eyes at Kame shortly. The younger one looked much calmer at the moment, not completely relieved, but that horrible tension disappeared and he even dared to repay the warm glance to Jin. They could only guess, what would happen next, but the situation was much better than in the morning.

“I recommend you to get some rest, there´s a way back to the city in front of us,” Walker reminded them. “And stay on alert.”

With that the captain turned his horse and went back to his men, not even waiting for the next angry deputy´s reaction. But Grenet was more than angry and he needed to let his frustration out on someone. And that nearest someone was Kame.

Grenet reached out to the young bartender, grabbed his shirt and pulled him towards himself so that he almost couldn´t stay in the saddle.

“If I find out you have anything to do with this…” the deputy lashed out at Kame. “You will be _screaming_ for mercy.”

Jin´s self-control was tested heavily, as he forced himself to stay still. He saw that the younger one was not scared; Kame didn´t even show the pain, which the rough move had to cause him. He was totally annoyed and didn´t held back this time.

“Fuck off, Grenet,” he snapped, took Grenet´s wrist and tore it off his clothes with the surprising strength. “I knew you are an idiot, but I didn´t think that this big.”

“Watch your mouth, you…!“ Grenet looked like a volcano before eruption, but Kame interrupted him firmly.

“I was in the city all the time! Beaten up by you, if you remember! And do you really think I didn´t know about that watching dog you sent? How could I do anything?!”

There was no argument to his statement and Grenet knew it. He kept silent for a while, just piercing Kame with the dark eyes, before he spat some saliva out of his mouth, which was really disgusting habit in Jin´s opinion.

“You´ve got a nerve to speak with me like this, baby boy…“

Kame didn´t move by inch, neither said anything more, considering it useless.

“Akanishi! Watch over him and do not let him out of your sight, even if he goes to piss, got it?!”

Then Grenet finally left, bossing his men around to settle down and take care of horses.

“As you command, you motherfucker,” Jin whispered, as soon as he was sure Grenet couldn´t hear him.

But when he looked back at Kame, he got worried immediately. The guy was bending over the saddle, holding onto it convulsively, gasping for air a little. Jin moved hastily, so that he covered the guy from the side.

“Kame? Will you be all right?” he asked in a whisper.

“Sure,” the younger one breathed out. “I just need to get down from the saddle… Slowly…” he said persuading himself to do it.

“Wait a moment, I´ll help you.”

“That is not a good idea…“ Kame opposed faintly.

But Jin was already on the ground, patting Kuro gratefully. He moved closer to Kame´s stallion, while Kuro stayed still and covered him like that with his body. Jin looked up to Kame.

“Come on,” he raised his hands up, so that he could catch the younger one.

“Seriously, Jin,” Kame whispered, checking up on both soldiers and Grenet´s men, if nobody was looking in their direction. “If they see you…”

“I don´t care,” the older one reacted willfully. “I am supposed to watch over you, am I not?”

Kame sighed, but then he gritted his teeth, took a deep breath and slipped down from the saddle. He staggered heavily, his knees weaker than he thought, but there were the strong hands catching him and making him to stand still.

“Everything all right?” Jin´s hot breath tickled Kame across the right cheek.

He moved his head a little to face the guy from such a closeness, which brought thousands of shivers into his stomach.

 _Oh, my... Will it be like this every time I get close to him?_ he asked himself almost scared of own reactions, gulping down nervously.

“I´m fine,” he replied quietly, hoping his voice wouldn´t betray him. “Thanks.”

“You´re welcome.”

Then Jin let him go hurriedly and took the Kuro´s bridle to lead him to the place, where all other horses rested too. Kame followed him full of worries, as he noticed that Jin´s face was as handsome as always, but the older one wasn´t only tired anymore, there was something more in his eyes full of red threads…

*

 

The grass and soil on the cliff´s top was soaked after the recent raining, but the red men brought thick blankets and leathers onto which they could sit comfortably without making their trousers wet. Captain Walker was obviously familiar with this Indian habit related to any serious conversation, so he settled down opposite the Tribal Chief without any remarks. As also Jin had his experiences with this, the only one who caused a fuss about it was Grenet, who insisted on his participation in the interrogation but refused to be there without his weapon.

But the Indians were relentless in their conditions and when the captain warned the stubborn deputy, that he holds them off without a proper reason Grenet submitted to the request in the end and joined their circle on the ground without his revolver, but with an inevitable scornful grin on his lips.

Except Captain Walker, his first lieutenant, Grenet and Kame, Jin joined the ´white´ party of the circle too. His sitting right beside Kame wasn´t objected by anyone, not even by the Indians, which could have seemed a little suspicious, but Jin was lucky that nobody cared about this interesting fact under the given circumstances.

Blackfeet Tribe was represented by the Chief himself and the shaman´s son Liwan. Three more warriors were also there, but they were standing four steps away from the circle, acting as the Chief´s guards and they didn´t interfere in the conversation. Jin was mostly grateful for the fact that Manipi wasn´t a participant either, as that cocky Indian was the most probable source of unnecessary problems. It was more than enough that he was standing nearby with the group of other Indians, who were armed to teeth, and he watched the scene with the dark frown.

As always, Kame took his role of the interpreter from the Indian language to English and the opposite. The talking was a little lengthy like that, but at least they could be sure both sides understood each other correctly…

“Thank you for hearing out my request, Chief Flying Feather,” Walker started speaking in a serious tone and waited for Kame to translate his greeting. “I´d like to ask you a few questions.”

Tribal Chief nodded his head and Captain continued.

“I am Captain Walker and with my unit we accompany the group of surveyors, who are responsible for checking of the way for the railway. I mean, the way for the Fire Horse, in your understanding… The previous day we were assaulted, approximately ten miles from Bozeman City and two of my men were killed, some surveyors injured seriously. It was a group of ten, maybe even more Indians. Did they belong to your tribe?”

Walker certainly didn´t lose any time to get to the point. No wonder that instead of response, a rather insulted question came from the mouth of the old Indian.

“Did you come here to accuse us from this attack?”

“No,” Captain responded immediately. “I wouldn´t ask you about it, if I did. But your village is the only one in the range of many miles around. You have to admit that my action and question is only natural.”

Chief kept silent for a while, piercing Walker with a quite disturbing look, but the captain endured it proudly.

“My tribe is peaceful, Captain Walker. We mean no harm to the white men, in case that you leave us live at peace. My warriors didn´t attack, neither killed your men,” Flying Feather said finally.

Jin couldn´t tell what Walker thought about this response, but it was more than obvious in the Grenet´s case.

“And we are supposed to believe that?!” he exclaimed so loudly that all looks focused on him. “Do you really think they would confess, Walker?!”

The Indians literally stabbed the man with their eyes, but none of them said anything. It was Captain who turned to face the pissed man.

“As much as I appreciate your concern, Grenet, I´d like to ask you for staying out of this conversation, until I´m finished with my questions.”

Jin didn´t understand just how Walker could behave so politely towards that asshole, and he had to give some credit to the soldiers´ leader. Handling that situation properly required a calm and reasonable head.

Grenet´s face got red with anger and it looked like he would like to say something very ugly, but in the last second he overthought that. Jin didn´t think that the bastard deputy and Karnaka´s caper had any respect in front of the captain, not at all. More like he was clever enough to let it go for the moment. He had that sort of character to wait for a better opportunity to repay for what he considered as a mock.

Walker returned his attention to the deadly serious Indian in front of him.

“Do you have any idea to which tribe those attackers could belong to?”

But in reaction on this question Chief remained completely silent.

“I understand that you don´t want to accuse anyone, Flying Feather,” Walker spoke again. “But you have to understand, that if we shall remain at peace with your tribe, we need to find the culprits of those murders. If you really intend to keep on the good terms with the government in Washington, and with the Great Big Father, you should help me and you know that.”

There was a long intense silence and then it wasn´t Flying Feather who spoke. It was Liwan, as he would react on some invisible sign from his Chief.

“They might be from the Sioux Tribe,” he said in English and earned the surprised glances from behind his back, where his red brothers were listening carefully. Only the Chief´s face remained unmoved.

Walker focused his eyes on the young Indian.

“Why do you think so?”

“They caused problems before. And they are against Fire Horse,” Liwan explained shortly.

“But the Sioux´s village is far away in the south,” Walker objected. “Why would they be concerned about the matters here?”

“This is not about the whole tribe, Captain,” Kame answered this time. “I´ve heard about them too. It´s the group of ten, maybe fifteen warriors, who had left their tribe.  They have caused a few incidents in the Yellowstone area already. Their leader is the admirer of Sitting Bull **1** , I´m sure you´ve heard about him.”

“Yes, I know the stories about the Great Chief of Lakota Sioux, but... You sure know a lot about this group of troublemakers, Kamenashi,” Walker raised his eyebrows.

“Not at all, they are well known around this area,” Kame explained. “It´s just that they operated only far away in the south so far. But they could move and focused on the final part of preparations for the railway.”

“That sounds highly possible...” Walker admitted. “Sioux Tribe then… Do you know where their shelter is?”

Chief spoke in the Indian language again and Kame translated: “No, they are Travelers; they have no permanent place to stay.”

“Can you tell me anything else about them? Who are the members of this group, what guns they have, or anything else?”

“No,” Chief´s reaction was so definite, that Captain understood his time for the questions had just ran out. But he raised one more anyway.

“Will you help me find them then?”

Another long keen silence followed.

“It is also for your own tribe´s good to cooperate, Chief,” Walker emphasized. “Your warriors are familiar with the woods around; I would appreciate some help from you.”

“I do not intend to help you fight against the Sioux,” Flying Feather stated. “They may be from another tribe, but they are still our brothers.”

“Meaning I can hold you responsible for their actions too...”

Indian Chief frowned as he didn´t like the tone which was used by the captain and his guards took a threatening stance. Walker didn´t show any worries on his face, just a strong conviction.

“Flying Feather, I strongly recommend you to let me know anything what you might find out about this group of rebels. Also, we will be searching in the woods after their tracks for a while, and I would like to tell my men, how to recognize your tribe from them. Can you tell me at least this?”

First Liwan asked for a permission to speak, before he gave the response to Walker.

“We understand that might be a problem. Sioux have the black colored stripe around their eyes when they are on the War Path. We think this group is no exception.”

“All right, thank you. I appreciate your cooperation, Flying Feather,” Walker moved his head in the greeting and for Kame´s surprise he was able to get up at the same time as Chief.

The others followed them and the meeting was over.

“And that´s it?!”

Well, of course there was one man who didn´t get up from the leather yet and intended to express his opinion…

“You just let them go like this, Captain?!”

Everybody stopped and stared at the sheriff´s deputy.

“Yes, why not?” Walker asked, as there was nothing clearer than his intentions.

“Because they are lying!” Grenet hit the ground with his fist to give more emphasis to his words.

“We have no evidence they did anything wrong, deputy,” Walker objected firmly.

“But we can make them to tell the truth!”

“I know where you´re heading with this, but the thing is that I believe them.”

This made Grenet to shut up finally. He stared at the tall man above him for a while, before getting up slowly.

“Ah, right,” he said, all of the sudden calm as a lamb. “You believe them. That explains a lot.”

With that he went away, back to his men, with the non-understanding stares following him.

“Is he always like this?” Captain Walker said more just for himself, than as a question.

“Yes,” he received a double response anyway, as Kame and Jin spoke at the same moment, earning the surprised look from the man.

Jin rather didn´t say anything else and Kame pretended it wasn´t anything unusual, watching the Indians going away. Captain smiled a little.

“Seems you both have your experiences with our dear deputy…”

“More than I´d like,” Jin blurted out before he could think about it first.

“It can be said like that too, yes,” the bartender responded more carefully.

“I understand,” the captain nodded and something changed among the three men, something what made Kame to speak further.

“But you should be careful, Captain,” he said, as he couldn´t help not to warn the likeable man. “You don´t want to have the deputy as your enemy.”

“Oh, really?” Walker looked in the direction, in which Grenet marched away. “Thank you for warning, Kamenashi, but I´m sure I don´t need to be worried. Mr. Deputy is a little explosive, but I am able to handle the situation.”

“I´m glad to hear that, but… Do you even know who he is, Captain?”

“You mean that he is working for Raynold Karnaka?” Walker asked bluntly.

Kame just nodded.

“Mr. Karnaka is a powerful man, I admit, but not even he is above the law,” the captain stated calmly.

“Is that really what you believe?” Jin asked him with the clear sarcasm in his voice.

Kame looked at him warningly and Captain knitted his eyebrows.

“Yes, that´s what I believe, Mister…?” Walker reacted, raising a question about his name.

“Akanishi!!” the angered yell came before Jin could open his mouth again.  “Come here! Now!”

A quite annoyed expression could be seen on Jin´s face before he turned away from them and went towards his boss, kind of missing the enthusiasm he was supposed to show. And Kame decided to use the situation.

“Captain? Would you mind if I talk with my friends for a minute?”

“You mean with the Indians?”

“Yes,” Kame confirmed.

“Of course, I doubt I have any right to forbid it…” the captain reacted.

“Thank you,” Kame said anyway and rushed towards the group of Indians, who were already prepared to leave the place.

“Liwan!”

His friend looked around to see who called after him, but there was somebody else, who also spotted Kame and happened to be closer. Manipi made five long steps, stepped into Kame´s way and pushed him roughly to the chest, so that Kazuya staggered two steps back almost falling to the ground.

“You! How dare you do show your face here! You traitor!” he hissed at him spitefully and pushed him once again.

Kame was speechless seeing the Chief´s son so angry and didn´t even defend himself. Fortunately, there was Liwan who rushed towards them and caught Manipi for a shoulder.

“That´s enough! Let him be, Manipi!”

“He broke the promise! Traitor! Dirty rat!”

“That´s not true and you know it!” Liwan raised his voice too.

“If anything bad happens to our tribe, it will be your fault!” Manipi pointed one finger out at Kame, then he shook the Liwan´s hand off and marched back to his horse as a furious buffalo.

Kame was just standing there as thunderstruck.

Yes, it was his fault. If he wasn´t so obvious about being friend with the tribe, they wouldn´t even think of him leading them to the village. It was his fault that he didn´t obey Grenet and behave as he should have. He should have continued pretending to be a scared baby boy. He didn´t think and…

“Kazuya…” Liwan´s voice brought him out of his pessimistic thoughts.

He was looking at him worriedly and not angry at all.

“I´m so sorry for all of this,” Kame emphasized hurriedly. “They made me do it and I…”

Liwan moved his hand and caught Kame for a forearm, stopping his next words.

“It is all right, my friend,” he said. “I understand. Akanishi told us everything. Our Chief understands too. Only Manipi is hasty with judgments, you know him.”

“But I´m still worried about you,” Kame sighed. “Grenet won´t give up. You should move your village, you should…”

“We had already discussed this with the Elders and we will move to our winter place sooner than usually, so don´t worry.”

“How can I not worry?” Kame complained.

“Because you obviously have your problems yourself…” Liwan said quietly. “You look horrible.”

Only at that moment Kame realized how his face must look like and stiffened.

“That man… He did this to you, right?” his friend asked then, and the anger appeared in his eyes. “I should take his scalp for this…”

At that moment Kame squeezed his hand too.

“Do not even think about it,” he emphasized, not leaving any place for objections. “I will handle it.”

*

“What the fuck do you think you´re doing?”

It looked like Grenet was pissed all the time now. Well, it was a bad day for his plans...

“What do you mean?” Jin asked him innocently.

“Playing on friends with that idiot in blue uniform?”

“Well...” Jin was trying to figure our something believable fast.

“What is this game, Akanishi?!”

“I just thought that... That it would be convenient, if at least somebody gained his trust, that´s all,” Jin proclaimed satisfied with his idea. “He was sent here by the government, after all. Making him our enemy will cause only troubles. You fucked it up, Grenet, not me.”

The deputy stared at him saying nothing and Jin repaid his glance. What he said was right and it was clear even to those idiots around. Grenet had to admit that, no matter if he wanted or not.

“Ok, not bad, not bad... But don´t overdo it, greenhorn,” Grenet said in the end. “You don´t have to lick his ass, that would be suspicious anyway.”

“I didn´t even mean to do it,” Jin reacted in an annoyed tone.

Grenet was just trying to cover his own stupidity, making Jin look like the jackass. That man was so low... Not even worth of bothering with him.

When Jin turned back to check on the situation, he saw Kame talking with Liwan. The Indian was holding his hand and looked worried. Well, no wonder considering Kazuya´s appearance.

But something strange moved in the Jin´s stomach, seeing those two being so close. It was short, but it left a burning and bitter taste in his throat. It took him a while to admit, that maybe, only maybe he was a little jealous about Kame´s best friend. He suppressed that stupid feeling back deep inside. He really needed some sleep finally...

***

 

For Jin, the journey back to Bozeman City was awfully long and difficult. The waves of heat were changing the place with the incredible coldness, which made him to shake like a leaf in the gale. By the time they reached the first houses, he was totally exhausted and the only thing he could think about was going to the bed and sleep for a week.

But he didn´t want to show weakness in front of Grenet and the others, so he just gritted his teeth, persuading himself that he would hold on for a while longer... Just a little, only to bring Kuro to the stalls...

*

Kame´s mind was drowning in pessimistic thoughts about his ´betrayal´ of the tribe. Manipi´s words stabbed him through and he was really worried that Grenet would come that far as looking for their village without a guide. He didn´t even need it anymore...

Blackfeet Tribe´s Indians rescued him and his mother; they allowed them to stay in their homes, creating a new one for them and took care of them. And this was how he would repay for everything good they did for him? Bringing the danger upon their peaceful village?

By the time they returned to the city again, the sun had just set down and the lamplighter was going around bringing some light to the darkening streets. But it didn´t reach his mood.

Grenet and his men headed to the sheriff´s office, while the soldiers with their leader and Kame with Jin to the stalls behind the saloon.

“I appreciate your help, Kamenashi,” Walker said after they all dismounted. “But I´m afraid I will need it again soon, so... Just be around.”

“I will try, Captain. I´m glad you considered their situation reasonably.”

Walker just nodded shortly, parting with them.

All soldiers, one after another left the stalls, leaving their horses with the saddles on behind, as they knew the animals would be taken care of well as a part of the saloon´s services.

Kame closed the door behind them and turned to the last man remaining inside. And he found Jin with the strange color of his skin leaning over the wooden counter, holding onto it as the only firm thing in the world and breathing heavily. Kame didn´t even realize that his feet were moving and he was already right beside him.

“Jin! What is it?” he asked with the heavily beating heart.

“I´m fine...” the older guy mumbled. “It´s probably only a cold...”

Kame put a palm on the Jin´s forehead under the hat. It was burning...

“Why didn´t you say anything?!” he breathed out shocked. “You have a high fever!”

Jin looked at the younger one with the blear eyes.

“Oh, really? I thought that... it will... I...” he didn´t even finish the sentence.

If Kame wasn´t there and didn´t caught Jin firmly, he would have fallen down on the rotting straw, passing out.

“Jin!”


	19. Ravings

**R** osie´s heart ached when she saw her son sitting on the bench of Dr. Best´s veranda, leaning his elbows on the knees, the face covered with both palms. He looked so tired, sad and vulnerable at the moment that her maternal instinct literally screamed inside of her.

She hastily overcame those last few meters of the muddy street and four steps up to reach the young man. Rosie wanted to take him into her arms and protect Kazuya from everything wicked on the world; despite she knew she is not strong enough to manage that. She was painfully well aware of her own incapability; the loss of the two younger children created a deep bleeding wound in her heart, which had never healed. She would do anything for Kazuya, her only remaining son, but she just couldn´t protect him in a way she would like to. She could only love and support him by her whole self. At least, she could be there for him, helping him with anything necessary.

Rosie sat down next to her son slowly and squeezed his slightly shaking shoulder.

“Kazuya...”

He raised his head and Rosie forgot to breathe for a while, when the eyes full of deep worries and other suppressed emotions focused on her.

“Mum...” his voice was only a little more than a whisper. “Who told you I´m here?” he asked.

“Mike came for me,” she answered him, keeping the calming tone of her voice. “He is a good kid; he was worried about you. And also about that friend of yours... What happened, Kazuya?”

Her son sighed and it sounded terribly tired and hopeless.

“That´s for a long talking,” he said. “But Jin ended up here with a high fever. And it´s my fault...”

Rosie didn´t understand why her Kazuya was blaming himself, but she heard about a certain Jin Akanishi from Mike. The boy seemed to be very fond of that guy and she felt some kind of sympathy towards him as well, even though they were not even properly introduced yet.

“I brought you something to eat,” she pointed out the small basket in her hand.

“Thank you, Mum, but I´m not hungry…”

Rosie placed the motherly and knowing look on Kazuya.

“Last time you tried this on me, you were only fourteen and you wanted to disappear on some crazy adventure with Liwan as fast as possible. It didn´t work, remember?”

*

It was as if he was that fourteen-year-old boy again. Kame repaid his mother´s firm glance for a minute, and then he nodded in defeat. But before he could say anything else, the fast steps from the street approached them and in the next second a tall young man jumped at the veranda and started to pound at the door of the clinic.

“Dr. Best! Dr. Best!” he shouted out in panic, while Kame and his mother were watching him surprised. “Please, open the door!”

It took some time before the door was opened and a frowning face of the doctor appeared in them.

“Dr. Best!” the young man breathed out. “My… My… My…”

“David. What is going on?” Dr. Best asked sharply.

“My wife is in pain! She couldn´t even get up from her bed! I think it has already started! You must go with me! Quickly!” David was obviously scared to death.

“It´s not exactly the best timing your wife has,” the doctor murmured while picking up his coat from the hanger next to the door. Then his eyes fell on the two sitting on the bench.

“Kamenashi! You´re still here?” the doctor was obviously surprised and Kame was uneasy about what to say.

“Yes, doctor… I just… I just wanted to know… How is he?”

“Not well,” the response, which froze his heart, came. “Actually, it´s convenient, that you had stayed. I can´t leave him here alone. Can you watch over him for a while?”

“Of course,” Kame didn´t think about the request at all and he got up on his feet immediately.

“Great,” the doctor rubbed his hands and glanced at the sitting woman then. “Mrs. Kamenashi, unless you have some serious health problem, I recommended you to rest at home,” he said strictly and focused on Kame again. “And you, come with me, please,” Best turned away from the door.

“Dr. Best!” David screamed desperately.

“Calm down; we´re going right away!” the response came from the inside of the room. “Kamenashi!”

Kame already moved towards the door, when his mother stopped him for a moment and she forced the basket into his hand.

“Take this and come home as soon as you can,” she urged on him.

Kazuya just nodded gratefully and entered the clinic, feeling the worried eyes of his mother behind. He followed the doctor to the back part of the medical room and then upstairs.

“I´m not sure yet, but it can be contagious,” the doctor informed him on the way. “Are you willing to stay anyway?”

“Yes,” Kame reacted without any hesitation.

Doctor gave him a sharp observing look, before he nodded: “All right,” he said and opened one of many doors in the long corridor.

And there he was, half-naked Jin lying on the bed, with the eyes closed, his skin wet from the sweat shining in the light of two kerosene lamps. Kame felt the hard lump stuffing his throat all of the sudden.

“It doesn´t seem to be any infection,” Dr. Best assumed, while checking on the thermometer, which he took out from the Jin´s armpit. “He doesn´t have any symptoms of it except the high fever. I think it´s caused by exhaustion and he needs to rest, but this high temperature can be dangerous, I don´t like it…”

“What can I do?” Kame asked him not being able to cover the tension in his voice.

“Under other circumstances I´d let his immune system deal with it, but in this case we have to keep him as cool as possible. There is the water and some cloths,” the doctor indicated towards the small table. ”You have to prepare the cold wraps and change them regularly. Try to keep his fever down, measure him each twenty minutes. If his temperature goes above forty-one degrees, come for me. David´s house is next to the barber´s. Understand?”

“Yes, doctor…” Kame nodded, feeling somehow overwhelmed with the amount of information he had just received.

“Can you really deal with it here?” Dr. Best asked on a very serious voice.

Kame tore his eyes from helpless Jin and looked at the doctor surprised.

“Yes…. Of course, I can. Why do you ask like that?”

“You look quite pale himself. What about your wounds?” the old man was observing him carefully.

“I´m fine. I´m just tired, thank you, doctor,” Kame assured him as firmly as he was able to. “You should rather go with that David down. If I understood correctly, his wife is giving a birth now, right?”

“Oh, yes, she chose the great time, really… All right… I´ll leave the things here up to you then. I don´t know how long it will take, she is quite young.”

“Don´t worry; I´ll stay here,” he repeated firmly.

Doctor nodded and left the room in a rush, leaving Kame alone with the almost unconscious patient...

Kame felt such an unbearable anxiety looking at sick Jin that it was like he was suffocating. Not only that he put his friends from the Blackfeet Tribe into a very dangerous situation, this was his fault as well. Jin rode to the tribe during a horrible rainy night and got soaked to the bones. He had to be incredibly cold then and after that, without a proper rest he rushed back to Bozeman to join them, just to go to the same place once again.

 _I should have noticed his poor state earlier; I should have done something…_ Kame was blaming himself hopelessly, not realizing there was nothing he could do to prevent Jin from collapsing.

He put the basket from his mother aside. With the guilty expression he approached the bed, pulling the table closer and sat down carefully. Jin mumbled something intelligibly, while Kame was wringing the cloth. The older one was raving in fever, moving his head from one side to the other jerkily.

Kame put one properly folded bandage across his forehead and with the second one he started to wipe his bare chest from the drops of sweat. He noticed that Jin´s neck still had some tinge of tan, the rest was slightly lighter. It wasn´t the first time he saw the older guy like this, exposed, only in his pants. But somehow, it felt very different from the moment they were washing themselves in the river.

Back then, Jin was cheerful and seemed so strong with his arms and chest shaped by the hard manual work into impressive muscles. But now, Kame could also see that his skin was far from being smooth. His back was covered with the small white scars and his hands were dry from using the guns and hard on the specific places, which were affected by the regular practice of shooting the most. Kame could also see the dark nipples and short dark hairs under Jin´s bellybutton. The older one´s hair wet from the sweating was clinging to his red face and strong neck, looking like the small dark snakes.

With all those details completing the whole image, there was only one word which sneaked up onto Kame´s mind – beautiful. Jin seemed as the most beautiful person he had ever seen. And one part of him felt terribly guilty for observing the guy so closely, without the other one knowing about it.

Suppressing all inappropriate thoughts away Kame was trying to cool Jin down with the long soothing movements. Even through the thick fabric he could feel how hot the older one´s skin was, which didn´t leave much space for any stupid ideas his mind might have; more like it made Kame sick worried. A few days ago, he wouldn´t have even imagined seeing the energetic mood-switcher in the condition like this.

“I´m… I´m… Sorry…”

Kame got surprised by the soft mumbling and focused his eyes on Jin´s face. The other´s eyelids were still closed, but his facial features were clearly showing some pain.

“I couldn´t… Couldn´t do… Anything…”

Kame exchanged the cold wrap on Jin´s forehead for a new one, listening worriedly to his pointless words caused by ravings. He had already seen the fever so high that it caused the hallucinations once and it didn´t end up well for that sick person.

“No!” Jin shouted suddenly and tried to sit up, which Kame prevented and pressed the guy back to the bed gently, putting the wet cloth back on its place.

“It was not my fault! Not my fault!” Jin was defending himself in front of somebody invisible.

“Ssshh… It´s all right, Jin,” following his instinct, Kame caught Jin´s face between his palms. “You can stay calm…”

Jin stopped moving completely for a few seconds, stiffened by something what only he could perceive. Kame could almost hear the older one´s loud heartbeat, and he felt the pulse under the skin of his neck, as he kept the hands on him, trying to bring the feeling of safety to the guy. The sick gunslinger was still breathing heavily, but it seemed he calmed down a little. Kame let his face go, stroking him across one shoulder, before he got up.

“I´ll be back right away,” he said, despite it was obvious Jin couldn´t hear him.

Kame went for the fresh water to the pump downstairs and returned back as fast as he could, trying not to spill the wooden floor in the process. Jin was still lying there, only this time it seemed that he was on the edge of crying.

“No, please… No,” his voice was only a whisper, sounding almost like of a child.

Kame put the water aside and sat down next to him hastily.

“Please, don´t lock me there… Not again…. Please…”

That begging voice was too much for Kame to handle calmly. He caught Jin´s forearm and leant over him.

“Jin, nobody is going lock you up anywhere,” he assured the delirious guy, forcing his voice not to shake. “Do you hear me? You are safe here.”

Suddenly, the other one´s eyes opened, all blurred from the fever, dark and wide and scared.

“Jin, you´re safe,” Kame emphasized again.

It took a few seconds before the dark eyes recognized him.

“Kazuya?” the lying guy asked unsurely.

“Yes, it´s me, Jin. I´m here with you. You will be all right.”

Kame wasn´t sure if he said that to convince the sick gunslinger or himself, but Jin´s tense expression eased up gradually, until it changed into a small grateful smile and that was satisfying enough not to ponder about it.

“Yes…” Jin breathed out closing his eyes again. “I will…”

Kame was overfilled with a nice warm feeling, seeing that Jin reacted on him like this. He let his arm go slowly; with the intention to start with the cold wraps preparation again, when a surprisingly strong grip circled around his hand. Jin was looking at him again, his orbs even wider than before.

“But you stay? Here?” he asked hoarsely, looking weirdly scared.

“Jin…” it was difficult for Kame to speak, as something incredibly hard gripped on his heart and stole his ability to create the words.

“Don´t leave me!” Jin requested hastily, his chest coming up and down in the fast pace. Kame felt his skin basically burning under the touch of his fingers. “Don´t leave me alone… In the dark… Kazuya…”

Jin looked like a lost kid scared to death at the moment and Kame felt the huge urge to chase his fear away. Or rather erase any of his fears completely. He moved closer again, trying to smile encouragingly.

“I won´t leave you,” he said on a moved tone, which made it sound like a life-time vow.

“Promise?” Jin asked anyway, like somebody who was already betrayed and needed the repeated assurance.

“Yes, Jin, it´s a promise,” Kame nodded and placed a palm on his shaking hand.

“That´s…” Jin breathed out heavily. “That´s all right, then…”

After that the raving guy relaxed a little again, and closed his eyes, but he didn´t let Kame´s hand go, and kept holding on it tightly. Kame sighed and moved with his free hand to stroke Jin over the forehead, putting his hair aside.

“I´ll stay here,” he whispered once again. “So, don´t worry, Jin... You have to be healthy again soon. I cannot continue with this on my own... Not anymore.”

***

 

Brad so knew that he would be the one to deal with the consequences of that day´s fiasco with those shitty redskins. It was not a good day for his boss at all and he felt bad about it long before the order came from the deputy´s mouth, when he told him to stay in the office.

His other companions left, some with the sympathetic look, but most of them mainly relieved they were not going to be the goal of Grenet´s anger. But he remained motionless and silent in front of the table, behind which Math was smoking the second cigarette already, his cold eyes buried in the wall somewhere behind Brad´s back.

The silent Grenet was much more dangerous than the yelling one and Brad didn´t like it. As he knew him, the deputy was able to shoot him off on the spot just to relieve his frustration, even if poor Brad was not responsible for anything what was screwed up that day.

“Brad…” the forcefully calm and cold voice put him on even higher alert.

“Yes, boss?” he asked carefully.

“Do you remember the way? To the cliff where we had met with that fucking tribe?”

“Yes,” Brad confirmed convinced.

“Good. Tomorrow, right in the morning, you´ll go there back again. I don´t care how, but find where that village is. Don´t come back before you´ll know the exact location, got it?”

 _Oh, fuck…_ Brad relieved himself in his mind. Wandering in the damn woods, spying on the sneaky Indians, avoiding their unpleasantly sharp arrows and praying for not ending up at the torture stake... Not exactly the trip of his dreams.

“Yes, boss, I get it…” he said aloud. “Can I take someone with me?” at least he wouldn´t be alone in this.

“All right, but only one…” Grenet let out a huge cloud of smoke from his lips.

“What about Akanishi?”

 _It would be convenient to sacrifice that annoying greenhorn, if anything happens,_ Brad thought.

“No, I don´t trust him that much,” Grenet denied his proposal. “Take Marty. You must be stealthy. Don´t get caught, is that clear?”

“Of course, I´m not stupid.”

“According to whom you judge that?” Grenet grinned awfully. “I have to prepare a report soon and I need to give our dear salary payer the good news, so hurry up with this. I´ll be waiting.”

“Sure thing, boss,” Brad nodded, covering his annoyance from the newly assigned task.

***

 

It was a damn long night. Jin´s condition was switching from the fever ravings to the uncontrollable shaking regularly, but the thermometer didn´t show the value above forty degrees.

Finally, he calmed down around three o´clock in the morning and Kame spent another hour by constant checking before he let himself to be relieved a little. Jin fell asleep and it seemed that the fever was going down slowly.

Dr. Best wasn´t coming back, so Kame assumed the birth of that child was probably very difficult. But he didn´t mind staying by Jin´s side for a whole night. He wasn´t closer to him than for what a hug would take since their time spent in the woods. And Kame realized that he missed it badly. Even though Jin wasn´t able to perceive him.

He covered the older guy with some blankets carefully and sat on the chair right next to the bed. Silently, he was observing a finally calm face of his friend, and…

 _Let´s be honest, Kame,_ the young bartender said to himself defeated. _The face of my secret crush._

He thought that he would stay awake till the morning, just watching Jin, but in the end his own exhaustion caught up with his mind and covered it with the blanket of heavy sleep.

***

 

When somebody´s hand shook with Kame´s shoulder not so gently, it felt like it was only a minute since his eyelids covered his sight with the comforting blackness, but as soon as he started to pay attention to his surroundings properly, he realized that it had to be quite late in the morning.

“Good morning,” Dr. Best said looking at his face with the red eyes.

“Good morning, doctor,” Kame answered in a sleepy voice. “What time is it?”

“Almost nine o´clock. You should go home, I´ll handle it here from now on.”

“All right…” Kame nodded and got up to his feet slowly.

He felt tired, but a lot better than on the previous day. The pain from his bruises started to go away slowly, but for sure.

“What about J… Akanishi? Will he be all right?” he asked, when the doctor moved towards the still sleeping patient.

“Yes, I think so,” the man nodded slowly. “His fever is almost gone. You did well. Thank you for watching over him.”

Not that Kame would want to complain about his night task. He got to know a very different side of Jin again and if something, it made him to fall even more for the older one.

_Oh, crap, this kind of thoughts right in the morning? I must be still dreaming..._

“You´re welcome, doctor…” was what Kame said, not paying attention to his inner self.

“No, seriously. Not everyone would be willing to do this…” the doctor focused a sharp look on Kame, which he avoided. “I´m sorry I got back so late. Difficulties with that birth…”

“Are they all right?” Kame asked politely.

“Yes, fortunately, yes,” the doctor smiled and despite he was very tired and worn out, he looked honestly pleased about this fact. “Go and have some rest, too…”

“All right, thank you, doctor…”

It wasn´t necessary to tell the doctor, that he really needed to go to work instead of resting… Kame stopped at the door, as one thought came to his mind and turned back: “And… Doctor Best?”

“Yes? What is it?”

“Can I ask you for something?”

The doctor straightened up with a curious look on his face.

“Sure, you sound serious…”

Kame took a deep breath before he spoke again: “Don´t tell anyone I was here watching over him…”

“Oh, why?” the doctor looked confused.

“Well, I don´t want to cause him any problems, you know?” he tried to explain without saying anything important.

“What do you mean?”

“Dr. Best, I think you understand… Grenet doesn´t exactly like me and if he finds out I took care of one of his men like this, it will cause unnecessary questions and so…”

Doctor stared at him for so long, that Kame started to feel uncomfortable.

“You do understand, right?” he needed to hear the doctor´s response.

“Yes, don´t worry,” the doctor said finally. “I don´t feel like telling to the deputy anything, but… I´m just surprised you think about something like this. You don´t want to cause the troubles to him and not to yourself. It´s just that I´d expect the opposite…”

Kame stiffened. That was right; he was not supposed to care for Jin…

“Well, he… is not… that bad…” he just couldn´t think out anything more persuading.

But to his relief, the doctor smiled: “Yeah, I´ve noticed… Don´t worry, Kamenashi. I´m not any gossiper.”

“Thank you…”

“Not really,” Dr. Best shook his head. “I owe you for this, Kamenashi.”

***

 

Darkness, coldness and fear-awakening shadows were surrounding Jin so closely it felt as if some greedy tentacles reached out for his legs and arms and they tied him up so tightly, that he couldn´t move or breathe or even scream. And even if he could, it would have been meaningless, as he knew that no one would come to save him, to take him out of that horrible place…

It still felt the same, it still brought the freezing shivers all over his spine, despite that it was so many years ago, when he was locked up on that place for the last time. He tried hard not to remember those days and nights; he wasn´t thinking about it at all. But his fever had brought all those cold dark memories back to him in his ravings and now, even though he was already fine, his temperature back to normal, they were still inside his mind, mocking to him, irritating him and scaring him off…

“Akanishi, do you really feel well?”

Jin was torn out of his past by the worried voice of the grey haired man, who was sitting behind the table, writing something down into the new medical records. Jin assumed it was the papers about him.

“Yes, doctor, I´m fine,” Jin nodded, trying to look convincingly.

“Listen to me then…” Dr. Best murmured and looked back at his written remarks. “I´m still trying to figure out what was the cause of your condition. Weren´t you kind of sensitive towards the temperature changes when you were a child?”

“Well, maybe…” Jin admitted, but he didn´t intend to tell any story of his difficult childhood to anyone, even not to his doctor.

“It seems to me that your organism is somehow weakened in this way. Have you ever had pneumonia?”

Jin knitted his eyebrows trying to remember.

“Actually, yes, I think so… I was very small, maybe five or six years old.”

“Hmm….” the doctor wrote something down again. “That may cause it… Listen, you have to be more careful about your health. I think your immune system has a weakness, thanks to this old disease in your childhood. It´s quite common. Your body reacts in panic when you put him under very tough conditions…”

“Such as?” Jin asked.

“Quick changes from cold to heat, letting yourself to get wet and staying outside, running in the freezing air and similar… The system cannot deal with it well and your temperature goes high because of it. At least, it´s one of the options. I don´t think it´s anything serious, though… Just be more careful.”

“I will,” the young gunslinger nodded seriously.

Doctor Best put his pencil aside and looked Jin in the eyes.

“And you should also know that the deputy asked about you yesterday…”

“Grenet? He was here?” he asked frowning.

“Yes, it seems that Harada told him you ended up here, so he came with the request to release you. I explained him you were not able to do anything in your condition… But he wasn´t very understanding; I think you can imagine.”

“I´ll deal with it. Thank you for telling me, doctor.”

“You´re welcome. Just come back if you don´t feel well, all right?”

“Yes…” Jin assured him, and stood up from the chair putting his hat on the head.

“Anything else?” Dr. Best raised his eyebrows, when Jin didn´t leave and stayed in front of his table.

“Well, yes…” there was one thing Jin wanted to make sure about, as he didn´t know if it was only part of his hallucinations or reality… “You said that Kamenashi from the saloon and Mr. Harada brought me here, after I had collapsed, right?”

Doctor Best nodded.

“And was anyone with me during the night when I was… delirious?”

“Uhm, yes...” the doctor was looking at his face with a curious expression now. “I asked young Kamenashi to stay and watch over you as one of my patients was giving a birth that night. Very difficult… I couldn´t watch over you myself.”

Jin was staring at the doctor, but he didn´t really see him. So... That caressing hand, calming voice, brown eyes full of worries, it _was_ Kazuya after all…

“Any problem with that?” Dr. Best asked.

“No!” Jin shook his head. “No, not a problem, it´s just that I don´t remember that night properly. Thank you once again, Dr. Best.”

“At your service, young man.”

***

 

Two days since the morning on which he left Jin in the doctor´s care, Kame spent behind the bar in the saloon, trying to make up to Mr. Harada for the missed days and also nights, when the saloon´s owner had to serve his guests himself. He was so lucky to have such an understanding employer. Harada didn´t make any scene, despite he had a full right for it. He didn´t even ask about his whereabouts on the night following after they carried unconscious Akanishi to the doctor together. He just said he would shorten the Kame´s regular salary a little.

Kazuya didn´t dare to go to ask about Jin during that time. Not anymore. They were both lucky that nobody cared who had dragged him to the doctor, when he collapsed. After Grenet found out that his subordinate was sick and marched in and out from the Best´s surgery room hissing some vulgarisms, Jin´s condition became a target for various taunts.

Working Kame was condemned to listen to the stupid accusations and sneer of Grenet´s capers, that Akanishi was even more girly than him.

He missed the older one so much during those days. Even more than that time, when Jin was on Karnaka´s farm for a whole week. It was probably because he was more worried for him now. He didn´t expect to see the gunslinger so weak and in such a defenseless state. And it scared Kame. It made him realize that Jin wasn´t only a handsome funny guy, great with his revolvers. He was also only a human. And each human could be hurt so easily... Or get sick.

“It was about time, Akanishi!”

This exclamation of one already drunken man in the taproom made Kame to forget about his dark thoughts immediately and he focused his attention towards the saloon´s entrance.

It was an incredible relief to see those deep eyes again. Kame felt how the tension from his back was disappearing slowly. Even though Jin tore his look from him hastily and walked towards the corner table casually.

Grenet´s group, fortunately without Grenet himself, welcomed him with the loud mocking remarks and laughing before they forced him to sit down onto the free chair.

“Hey, Kamenashi! Bring some dinner over here! Our sick princess is starving!”

*

It took some time before those drinking idiots got bored from the jokes on his account and left him at the table alone. Jin was lucky that they were out of money for that evening. He was too tired to deal with them.

He got up on his feet, which still felt a little weak, and went to the bar, putting his empty plate with the fork onto the counter and waited for Kame, who was collecting the empty tankards from the soldiers, who were already leaving too.

“Thanks for the meal,” he said, when the bartender came back to his place. “How much do I owe you?”

“That´s on me,” the younger one replied without even glancing at him.

“Really? What for?” Jin asked confused.

Kazuya raised his eyes finally and looked at Jin surprisingly serious.

“Take it as an apology.”

But Jin still didn´t get it: “There´s nothing for what you should apologize to me,” he insisted frowning.

The bartender checked his workplace suspiciously, but from that few guests left, nobody was paying them the attention.

“We shouldn´t talk about it here,” he said anyway. “I´ll bring to you some tea later... Agreed?”

Jin smiled quite sneakily.

“Only if it will be your special tea you made for me before.”

Kame nodded wordlessly.

“I´ll be waiting for you...” Jin said already turning away from him.

*

It didn´t take long before the saloon got empty, Mr. Harada went to sleep and Kame could clean up and close the business. And of course prepare the special tea with rum and bring it upstairs. But there was no response on his first knock, neither on the second one.

Still somehow worried for the young gunslinger, he opened the door quietly and peeked in.

“Jin?”

He was there, and it seemed that Kame´s voice woke him up from the short nap, as he signalized him to go in sleepily, his eyes only half-opened. Kame stepped inside the room hesitantly, put the mug on the night stand and focused his eyes on the still laying guy.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

“Yeah, just tired...” Jin yawned widely. “And that´s a wonder, after I slept so much.”

“Oh, I´ll let you rest then...” Kame reacted immediately and turned on the spot ready to leave.

“Wait! Wait!” Jin sat up in a rush and managed to catch his sleeve. “Don´t you dare to run away, Kame,” he frowned.

Kame stared on that unexpected facial expression first, then on the hand which was holding him. He had a feeling that he really should go away... But he didn´t want to.

“Come on...” Jin whined suddenly. “Do you have any more quests downstairs?”

“No,” Kame admitted not very willingly. “The saloon is already closed.”

“Great. Stay then,” Jin said and pulled him for the sleeve so stubbornly, that he made Kame to sit next to him on the bed, before he let the cloth go.

Then he focused his attention at the huge mug, from which the tempting smell was coming.

“I was so looking forward to this!” Jin grabbed the drink with both his hands, and turned so that he could see on Kame properly, folding the legs in front of him, ending up in the position in which his leg was touching Kame´s thigh from the side. The younger one stiffened feeling under this simple touch.

_Why didn´t I just leave, when I could?_

It wasn´t unpleasant, it was simply too nice to feel Jin touching him. What it would be like, if...? Almost terrified Kame stopped his own dangerous thoughts...

*

Jin studied Kame´s profile for a while, before he spoke.

“You look much better...” he stated.

The young bartender shrugged a little.

“Yeah, I´m fine now...” his voice sounded tense.

“Any more troubles with that shithead?”

“Not yet,” Kame assumed gloomily.

There was a moment of silence.

“So, what did you mean by that apology?” Jin asked, leaving Grenet-topic out and sipped on the hot liquid carefully.

Kame leant forward on his knees, the eyes pinched to the floor, when he answered.

“Don´t pretend as you don´t know,” he huffed. “It was my fault you got sick. If you didn´t ride to the tribe during that night...”

“You´re blaming yourself for this?!” Jin exclaimed interrupting him, almost spilling the precious tea. “I thought that we´ve already discussed this, Kame,” he continued on a calmer tone, but still a little pissed. “You´re not responsible for anything here.”

Kame didn´t look at the older one, neither said anything as a response. But that face of his was enough for Jin to know that he didn´t persuade him.

“We´re friends, right? And friends help each other...” he tried again.

“Yeah, friends...” there was a murmur formed on Kame´s lips, which sounded a little... Disappointed?

Jin fidgeted nervously. Hell, what should he say to make that stubborn bartender understand?

“And if you have to take it _this way_ , I think you had already remedied for it fully,” he stated firmly.

Kame´s eyelids moved and then a goldish look focused on him carefully.

“What do you mean by this, Jin?”

“I know you were there with me...” he explained slowly, and this time it was him who looked anywhere beside Kame´s face. “On that night I wasn´t on my senses... I don´t remember it very well, but the doc told me.”

“Ah... So?” Kame asked with the look, which was saying that he had no idea what Jin was talking about.

“So?” Jin repeated in disbelief and repaid his glance. “You stayed there with me for the whole night! Took care of me and... such stuff... You didn´t have to...” his voice was dying into nothing gradually, seeing the strange warmness in Kame´s eyes.

“I wanted to,” Kame said seriously. “You´d do the same for me, right?”

“Of course!” he reacted immediately. “What I want to say by this is that... I have to thank you for it. So, forget any apologies, is that clear?”

“It was nothing...” the younger one shook his beautiful head.

“Maybe it was nothing for you but not for me!” Jin snapped putting so many emotions into each word it surprised even him.

Kame was looking at him wide eyed.

“I just wanted to... It was...” Jin forced himself to stop blabbering. “It was good you were there. Thank you, Kazu. And drop the topic, already.”

They stared into each other´s eyes for a long minute, before Kame was able to get out from that heavy tension between them, nodded and pointed out at the mug in Jin´s hand.

“Your tea... It´s getting cold,” he said.

“Ah... Yeah...”

Jin took it up to his mouth, almost grateful for some distraction. Well, only almost...

*

Kame stood up before the older one could finish his tea and say something else, what would have made his heart to beat even faster.

“I should go home, my mother is surely waiting and so...” he was mumbling on his way to the door where he stopped.

It was all ridiculous. Kame knew that he couldn´t pretend much longer than Jin was nothing more than a friend to him. He didn´t want to lose him though. And he was afraid that might happen if the guy found out about his feelings for him.

But he _should_ say it to him; Jin had a right to know, right? Or should he keep it only for himself? Hopelessly lost in the circle of thoughts, Kame let the handle go slowly.

_What if I do not have any other chance to tell him, how much he means for me? What if something like two days ago happens and then...?_

Kame turned back before his mind could make another decision with Jin´s name on his lips, which never left them. Because he found himself looking into the dark orbs just inches from his own. Jin left the bed and came after him to the door, with one of his hands reached towards Kame.

They were imprisoned in the tense moment, when none of them moved, and they just stared into the each other´s eyes. And in those eyes, it could be seen what was on their minds, what they wanted to say, but they were too afraid to do it.

It was Jin who put his reasoning away first, seeing something in Kame´s look, what made him move and overcome that remaining space between them...


	20. The kiss

**J** in had no control over his body. That itself was strange enough, but even more surprising was the fact he didn´t mind it. He didn´t feel even the slightest hunch of disapproval, when his hand finished the intended move, catching Kame for the right arm just below the shoulder, when his feet moved, coming closer to the stiffened bartender and his head lowered down to get to those lips which seemed as the most attractive thing in the world at that moment. He didn´t think about what he was doing; he just didn´t want to let the other one leave the room.

Already since the day before, his mind was overfilled with the blurry memories of the gentle hands touching him and of the soft voice calming him down. When he was ordered to stay in bed on the clinic, he couldn´t get those thoughts away, wondering how it would have felt like if he was more conscious on that night.

And now, Kazuya´s presence was like a strong magnet, which was slowly drawing him closer and closer, which Jin hadn´t even realized, until his mouth reached the destination for which his heart desired.

*

Kame´s eyes went wide in surprise, when Jin´s lips touched his. He didn´t quite understand, that something like this was really happening, but he couldn´t even make his brain to think and figure it out.

At first he basically froze in the time and space. It was not that he didn´t secretly yearned for this, it was just too unexpected.

Kame´s common sense tried to tell him that he should rather push himself from Jin away, but that order was stopped by the indescribable feeling, which changed the original defensive purpose of his hands and he let them rest on the firm chest in front of him.

Jin´s mouth was dry and hot and tasted after the rum which was added in his tea. His kiss was short, hasty and very awkward, but it revealed some of the hidden passion at the same time, and that brought the crazy shivering into Kame´s stomach.

Jin pulled away breathing out heavily, painfully anxious expression in his features, but he didn´t release his firm grip even a little.

Their glances met again, falling into each other, finding almost equal volume of burning emotions in them.

Then it was Kame who gave up on his own body control. He couldn´t bear it anymore. He was not able to just stand there motionless; it was too much for his poor restraint, onto which he was clinging since the moment he had realized that he was attracted to Jin. He let his desire to go free, not even realizing that he was holding it back for a very long time.

There was no space for logical thinking, when he leant to Jin for another kiss. He pressed against his slightly open mouth so vigorously, that it almost made them both to fall down. Fortunately, Jin found his balance fast and placed one hand on Kame´s waist, making him steady. But he was stiffened like a stone for a second, which squeezed Kame´s lungs with horrible uncertainty, almost causing him to choke on it.

But then Jin´s body softened again and he captured Kame´s offering lips as if he wanted to conquer them once and for all. Any doubts disappeared into nothing. Kame wrapped both of his arms around Jin´s neck, going to meet his efforts and when he felt a little hesitating probing touch of Jin´s wet tongue on his lower lip, he invited him inside his mouth without any hesitation.

They turned their minds off. There were only various emotions swirling in both of them like a tornado and strong attraction, which took the reins over their actions. Their kiss became passionate, when Kazuya´s tongue started to fight Jin´s one over who would have the upper hand.

Kame almost couldn´t breathe, as the hotness and desire were flooding him. But it felt so good that he never wanted to break that connection.

When Jin´s left hand went down, joining the other one around his waist and pulling him even closer, so that Kame could feel the older one´s firm body like never before, the blood came rushing into his head and strange weakness captured his knees making them to shake. Kame just thought that he would fall apart into tiny pieces, if Jin ever let him go...

*

Kame was so slim and suddenly seemed so vulnerable in his hold that Jin wanted to secure the younger one in his arms forever and didn´t give to that feeling any second thought. That incredible passion, which was brought out by Kazuya´s kiss and by his body, made him to shiver. It woke up something so strong inside of Jin, that it felt like he would suffocate on it if he stopped kissing the guy.

How the hell was even possible that it felt so damn exciting and... good?

Jin felt Kazuya´s fingers back on his neck and the tongue playing with his own, obviously not willing to stop any time soon. And when he let his own passion to express itself into the kiss, grabbing the younger one for the waist, Kame shook from head to toes and he surrendered to Jin´s demand, giving up their match and letting him explore his mouth freely. Somehow, Jin found himself not satisfied with that, he wanted more, he wanted to feel more from Kazuya...

When they finally broke the kiss, both at the same moment, it was when they were completely out of breath.

For a few long tense seconds, Jin wasn´t able to create any proper thought in his mind. He couldn´t keep either his breath or heartbeat calm and it was pulsating in his ears so hard, that he was sure the younger one heard it. His body was flooded with feelings, from which he recognized mainly excitement, nervousness and… desire.

He was the first one to open the eyes, which he didn´t even remember closing.

Kazuya´s dark eyelashes, an interesting angle of his eyebrows, a small proud nose, the slightly opened pink lips - all of those were the decorations of the beautiful face to which Jin was so close he could feel the warmness from its skin. But it was not only the face which trapped him in the amazed state. It was the tickle of the younger´s hair, his short hasty breath, the warm touch of his small palms on Jin´s neck, the fast movement of the other´s chest so close to his own, the slim waist for which he had grabbed Kazuya before and lastly, but not least, also the arms which were wrapped around Jin´s neck, the fingers of one buried in his hair.

There were so many perceptions Jin could feel just from that one person in his arms it was shocking for him. He didn´t know what to think about it, he _couldn´t_ even think. Until Kazuya´s eyelids moved and revealed his eyes too. Their color was so yellow, that it looked like they were glowing and Jin was hopeless against those eyes. Kazuya´s eyes…

“That was…”

Jin stiffened as if he was just turned into an ice statue. It was a Kame´s hoarse voice, which brought some thinking into his mind.

What did he just do? He kissed… Kame?

That was a stupid question, of course he did… He kissed another… guy.

It was hard to admit that, but somehow Jin felt the urge to capture those lips in front of him for some time already, definitely since his meditating lonely trip through the woods. And in the end, he couldn´t resist. Hell, he wanted to have them again right now, to kiss them so that their owner would lose his breath… Knowing how Kame took care of him, when he was sick, and now being alone with him in this small room, Jin couldn´t stop that urge to taste his lips anymore.

But… But he expected that Kame would stop him. That he would resist, fight back, anything. And that would make his stupid imaginations to give up finally. But Kazuya not only didn´t stop him, he didn´t pull away. He returned Jin´s kiss…

_Oh, no… This... Was not... Right. This is… Wrong._

It was a furious fight, which was held between his pounding heart and what he felt and between what his logic reasoning and education said. And mainly what was implemented into Jin´s mind as good manners, those were screaming loud at him, that what he did was awfully bad. Despite the fact his heart was saying something completely different. He was suddenly too scared to hear it; he couldn´t accept that something what felt so good couldn´t be bad.

Kame probably saw this inner fight of his, because his dazed expression changed slowly, into the non-understanding first, and concerned and then into the upset one. The younger one froze as Jin let his hands go of him slowly and took a step back, so that Kame´s hands fell down alongside his thighs without the shoulders to lean onto.

“I… I´m… sorry,” that was all what Jin was able to get out of his mouth.

*

Kame knew it. Deep down, he knew that he shouldn´t give in to his foolish hopes. No matter what Jin felt, no matter that he was the one to initiate their first kiss, the older guy was not going to accept this.

“I shouldn´t have done this... This is so wrong. Kame, I´m really sorry... This is...” Jin kept blabbering helplessly.

_I shouldn´t... I´m sorry…_

That was an ice-cold shower on Kame´s dizzy head. Jin probably let himself to be carried away at that moment and as soon as he did realized what happened, he regretted it. That only made Kame´s throat narrowed, stuffed with the bitter feeling. But one word which came from Jin´s mouth was the worst. _Wrong._ Jin considered what they just did as something _wrong_.

Kame himself felt a lot of things, when those full lips were in the hot contact with his own, but thinking about it as ´wrong´ was definitely not among them.

Jin was standing there more than two steps away already, as he moved from Kame hastily, his whole stance tense, ruffled hair half-covering his face, but despite that the younger one knew that he was avoiding his eyes.

“I´m… I´m really sorry…“ Jin mumbled desperately, when he didn´t say anything.

But that was not what Kame would like to hear. Everything what he wanted to tell Jin before he turned back from the door, everything what was flooding him as an avalanche and made him so excited, he buried it deep down and made himself to forget about it. He had to, he wouldn´t have been able to even speak if he didn´t.

“Stop apologizing,” he said in a harsh voice, he couldn´t even recognize as his own. “Just stop.”

*

The grating tone full of suppressed emotions pinched Jin in the chest, and made his stomach to squeeze. With a bad feeling he raised his eyes to look at the bartender, but Kame was the one looking away this time. His soft expression, which was there only moments ago, disappeared in nowhere and the small wrinkle between his eyebrows and a stiffened jaw replaced it.

“I think I should go,” that cold voice, which seemed not to belong to Kazuya at all, spoke again.

Jin´s lips were still a little wet from the kiss. He parted them as he intended to say something, but his brain was like an empty barrel. He had no idea what he should say.

Kame turned away, opened the door, left the room and closed them again. Jin stared at the door, totally dumbfounded, feeling torn apart into two. He wanted to run after him and stop Kazuya from going away, but he also heard the other part, which was yelling at him to stay on the spot and not ruin anything else. Because he screwed up big this time, right?

Jin sat down on the bed slowly and his eyes spotted the mug, which he put on the night stand in a rush, when he went after the younger one; the mug with Kazuya´s special rum tea…

He liked the beautiful bartender, he was attracted to Kame and he felt so damn well, every time he was in his company. But Jin still couldn´t comprehend fully, how they ended up... Kissing. They shouldn´t do something like this. It was against... Against what he was taught, against what was considered as _normal_. It was not right to have this kind of relationship with another man.

But... Why the hell it felt so good then? Their kiss awoke such an overwhelming feeling in Jin that he still felt his knees were shaking.

He did something stupid, but... Why didn´t Kame stop him? The younger one returned his kiss; he was completely open to what Jin did, and... And he seemed so hurt when he left...

Jin covered his face with both palms, leaning down onto them totally helpless.

_What the hell did I do? And what will I do now?_

***

 

The main door opening and also the following steps of the incomer were so silent that not being for creaking of the rusting hinges, which were holding the door on its place for some years already, neither the aging lady nor her young visitor would have realized somebody just came inside the house.

Lena let go of her cup with the hot tea, smoothing her sleeves hastily and brushing some invisible dirt away, before her eyes focused at the kitchen´s entrance with excited expectation shining in them. Rosie noticed that sudden change in the girl´s behavior and observed her pretty face with the aching sympathy.

It was brighter than the Sun itself how much fond of her son Lena was, at least for Rosie, as another woman. It didn´t seem that Kazuya realized that or more likely, he wasn´t interested in the girl in that way. He liked her a lot, but as far as Rosie knew her son, Lena was like a younger sister to him. But she still hoped that he might find some more liking in her; it would have been nice to have like a daughter-in-law this polite and cheerful girl.

Rosie was so afraid that the incident with that hundred-time-cursed Math Grenet discouraged her from involving with their family ever again, as Lena didn´t come over even once since then, but in the end she came, with an apologetic smile and temptingly smelling content of the small basket.

By the corner of her eye she caught the slim figure´s appearance, on which Lena reacted with the shy smile and greeting.

“Good evening, Kame...”

“Welcome home, dear,” Rosie turned to look at her son, too.

“Good evening,” Kazuya responded on a voice, which seemed somehow strange to Rosie right away. He also remained at the doorstep, not moving towards her and placing a loving kiss on her cheek as he almost always did.

“Lena brought some fresh cakes, would like to have some?” she asked her son, observing his face carefully.

“No, thank you,” he said. “I ate in the saloon.”

This response made Lena obviously disappointed and Rosie worried. She knitted her eyebrows into the concerned line.

“Did something happen?” Rosie asked.

“No... No, nothing´s wrong, don´t worry, Mother,” Kazuya said in a way, which made Rosie even more suspicious. She could always tell when her son was trying too hard to cover something up. “I´m just tired a little...” he continued and looked at the gloomy girl at the table. “I´m sorry, Lena, let´s meet up some other day, all right? I´d like to go to sleep early today.”

“Ah, don´t worry about that, I understand,” Lena tried to act too, nodding encouragingly. “I´ll come over again soon.”

“Thank you,” Kazuya appreciated it and without saying anything else he disappeared in the corridor.

Rosie looked at the girl, whose smile vanished almost immediately. That made her upset a little. No matter the circumstances, her son shouldn´t have behaved like that, turning Lena down, when she finally took the courage and came to see him again.

“I think I should rather go,” the blonde girl said sadly and got up.

“Oh, wait a little! You still have some tea left, dear...”

“Thank you, Mrs. Rosie, but my mother is waiting for me,” Lena excused herself, and after taking her plaid she left with her head held low.

*

Kame just took his coat and shoes off, when there was a slight knock at the door and a face of his lovely mother appeared in the gap, as she opened them.

“Kazuya? Can I speak with you for a moment?” she asked in a serious tone.

“Of course, Mother, come in,” he invited her, sitting on the bed and keeping his eyes down. “Did Lena go home already?”

“Oh, yes, she did...” Rosie responded, crossing the arms across her chest. “She came to see _you_ , so she had no reason to stay longer when you behaved like you did.”

Kame straightened up, when he heard an accusation in the mother´s voice.

“As I said, I´m tired...” he said apologetically.

“You should have a better explanation, my dear son,” Rosie interrupted him firmly. “Poor thing, she was so disappointed. Do you have any idea what it had to be like for her to come here again? After what happened with the deputy?”

Kame sighed a little, trying hard to stay calm, as there were still a lot of emotions rushing in his head.

“I´m glad she is all right and...”

“I bet she is scared!” his mother opposed. “She is not stupid! She knows that Math Grenet is focused on us!”

That statement made Kame more pissed than guilty and he got up on his feet.

“What do you think about me, Mother?” he reacted sharply. “That I want her to be in any danger? She didn´t have to come then! Who asked her to?”

“Kazuya!” Rosie gasped for a breath. “Don´t be so harsh! She just wants to help! She just likes you!”

Kame was frowning upset, not even thinking about an apology. He didn´t have any spare energy for this. What was he supposed to do with the girl´s feelings? He had already said more than once that he liked her, but like a sister and nothing else. She was not attracting him, unlike a certain handsome idiot with revenge in his head... But he couldn´t let it slip from his mouth, not at that moment. So he kept silent, avoiding his mother´s observing look.

“What happened to you?” she asked again after a pause.

“Nothing!” Kame exclaimed, barely keeping his voice away from shouting. “Can´t you just leave me alone?”

The tense silence fell on the room then. Kame was staring into the mother´s eyes now, seeing that she was worried and that he hurt her. He already regretted it. She had nothing to do with his mood. He hadn´t even realized how much upset he was, until he snapped at her.

Kame took a deep breath and came closer to the gray-haired mother, who was one of the most important persons in his life. And he intended to lie to her...

“I´m sorry... I really am,” he said, placing both palms at the smaller woman´s shoulders. “I think I need some rest. Can we leave this conversation for later, please?”

Rosie stared at him for a while, not quite convinced, before she nodded in understanding.

“Of course... We can talk later.”

“Thank you, Mum.”

She soothed him across the arm gently and stepped out of the door.

“Good night, Kazuya.”

“Good night.”

With that he was finally left alone. Kame stared into nothing for a while, before he turned back to his bed, made two heavy steps and let his body fall on it, hiding his face in the sheets.

But it didn´t help even a little; he couldn´t hide in front of it. He couldn´t deny how shaken up he was, he couldn´t make that hot intense feeling to go away. He still felt that wet warmness on his lips, it was like those firm hands were still on him. He was damn sure he would never forget how that kiss from Jin felt. And despite of what it brought in the end, despite he was turned down right away, Kame couldn´t force himself not to want more.

When he saw the young gunslinger in the saloon´s swinging door for the first time, he would have never thought that Jin Akanishi would make his emotions to turn upside down so easily.  And now, he ended up here, huddling on his bed, giving his best not to start crying like a fool in love...


	21. Telegram

**T** he following day happened to be surprisingly lively, despite the heavy blanket of dark clouds which already seemed to be too tired to pour any more water over the hills and lands of Montana.

That morning, Kame was among the very first citizens of Bozeman, who were awake and outside the house. During the night, he couldn´t get any proper sleep. He had spent many long sleepless hours on his bed, not able to get the thoughts about what happened between him and Jin in the evening before out of his head.

Kame gave up his useless attempts for at least some rest shortly before the dawn and decided to use the additional free time for little chores around the house and shelter for Ukushi, which were necessary to be done. It was not so urgent, as he was doing quite a good job in taking care of their home all the time, but that was not important at all. He just needed to keep his mind busy by something. By anything what distracted him enough...

It was near the breakfast time when Kame accidentally spotted Brad and one of his companions sneaking out of the city, walking slowly and as quietly as they could alongside their fully loaded horses and heading towards the woods. Seeing the inconspicuous departure of those two brought Kame a bad hunch, which didn´t leave him even after a very silent breakfast with his mother.

Not to mention that on his way to work he saw the Captain Walker´s group of soldiers setting off to the mountains as well. They were probably going to continue their search for the traces of Sioux group of attackers again. And Kame was quite sure that both expeditions meant troubles for his friends from the Blackfeet Tribe...

*

Jin was woken up by the loud cheerful voices and the horses´ neighing under his window. The next perception, which he had realized, was that the muscles of his neck hurt like hell, because he fell asleep in the sitting position, with the guitar in his lap.

He was pretty confused, until he remembered that in the previous evening he just couldn´t make it to the dreamland at all, rolling over and over on the bed, so he took the instrument out from its box, trying to calm himself down by strumming the strings, remembering the songs, which his best friend taught him long time ago.

Jin got up and returned the guitar back carefully, stroking across the smooth wood gloomily. He hadn´t touched it even once since... Since the day Pi had died. He closed the box slowly, thinking about what made him to lay on it again after such a long time. It helped him to fall asleep, but it couldn´t remedy what happened only a few hours ago. If it was even possible to fix what he screwed up somehow, which Jin really doubted at the moment...

He opened the window to let some fresh air in and the excited voices became recognizable. The fuss in front of the saloon, which interrupted his light sleep, was caused by the arrival of the tired postman, who - except some letters - brought the news about the post-coach coming into the city soon.

Before Jin could get downstairs for some breakfast, he was stopped in the corridor by the person who he wasn´t exactly happy to see as the first one in the morning. It was Grenet himself and he ordered him to go to Karnaka´s farm to present the report about their progress with the Blackfeet Tribe.

Jin just managed to spot Kame helping out Miss McBain in the kitchen, when he went through the taproom. And he felt like a coward, when he ran out in a rush, before the younger one could notice him too...

*

The journey to the rich farm was shorter than Jin had remembered, but it was probably caused by his pondering in the gloomy mood. The guards let him appear in front of his current boss only without any weapons again and he repeated everything what he was ordered by Grenet, trying to pretend that he was really significantly concerned about the current situation.

Raynold Karnaka wasn´t exactly thrilled about the news - they still didn´t know the Indians´ village location, but fortunately Jin didn´t become the target of the old man´s annoyance and he was only ordered to go back to the city with the message for Grenet and also with the order to inform Karnaka immediately, if there was anything new.

This time, Jin was really glad he could go away; he wasn´t in the mood for dealing with any annoying orders which Karnaka, or that toady Cameron, could have figure out, neither for watching around the fields. Kuro, who sensed his master´s bad mood, was unusually obedient and he brought Jin back to the city shortly before the dusk.

In the stalls Jin met with that cute squirt Mike, who was obviously glad to see the young gunslinger and immediately took the Kuro´s bridle, promising to take care of the horse. Then Jin headed to the saloon, finding it quite full, as there were Captain Walker and his soldiers, enjoying their relaxing evening and drinking some beer. It wouldn´t have been anything surprising, not being for four tables moved so that they created one huge surface, as the uniformed men sat there together with Grenet, who was obviously trying to persuade Walker for more drinking, but the man was moderate enough to refuse continuously.

When Grenet spotted Jin in the doorway, he just made a short sign across his mouth, which meant that he wanted his report later and continued with his dirty jokes, which were laughed at by all soldiers except Walker, who was observing the deputy with hardly readable look.

Jin didn´t care about the drinking group anymore, as his eyes fell on the young bartender, who was over-occupied with the preparation of more and more tankards. He hesitated on the spot, not sure if he should go to the bar counter or rather leave to his room, when Kame noticed the older one´s presence too.

Their eyes met only for the brief moment, during which Jin felt exposed and somehow vulnerable, with his feet stiffened, before Kazuya broke the contact first and returned his attention to the glass, which had almost spilled over from the liquid.

Jin kept looking at the younger one for a few more seconds, feeling the huge urge to talk with the guy, but he knew he just couldn´t do it in front of the full taproom. He didn´t have courage to go to the counter and ask for a beer. Jin felt kind of stupid, but in the end he approached the connected tables instead, joining the drinking group and trying to avoid looking at the young bartender.

*

It took something over one hour, before the soldiers left to their rooms to sleep, which they did only after the Walker´s uncompromising order. The captain excused himself after that as well and four of Karnaka´s gunmen got up and left the saloon soon after him. Only then Grenet was willing to listen what orders Jin had brought from Raynold Karnaka.

He didn´t say anything unexpected; Grenet knew that their boss wouldn´t be happy about the slow progress, so it didn´t pissed him off much. He just forced Jin to go with him to the counter and ordered two more shots of whiskey. He drank it in one go, and then that bastard thanked Jin with a wide grin for treating him and left without letting any cash behind. Kame obviously realized it, but didn´t say a word and kept serving the other customers.

Jin retreated to the table in the corner then, and sipping on his beer he was not able to prevent himself from hypnotizing Kame behind the bar. But it didn´t seem that the other one noticed him at all, actually Kame didn´t pay him any attention, which made Jin to feel more and more depressed.

When Mr. Harada took his place and Kazuya headed to the back door to take care of the stalls, before his shift was supposed to end, only then Jin gulped down the rest of his beer, paid to Harada with almost all remaining savings, as except the Grenet´s, his ´companions´ drinks were not covered either, and basically ran after the guy.

Jin tried to ignore his heart, which started to beat faster, when he spotted Kame talking with Mike in front of the stalls, sending him home for that evening. Then the guy disappeared in the stalls and Jin found himself fighting against the part of him, which was telling him not to go there... He was standing there in the shadows, felt his knees to be unusually weak and his throat narrow; he wasn´t even able to breathe properly. But still, after a minute his feet moved and Jin entered the stalls too.

The Kame´s slim figure was moving in the dim light of a few lanterns, as he was checking the stables, making sure that all toll-bars were closed properly. The place was almost completely full of horses; some belonged to the soldiers and also to the surveyors, who - for the time being - were spending most of the days in the saloon, making some lame excuses about how dangerous the local woods were, instead of doing their job.

Jin made the two steps from the entrance and stopped between two rows of stables, watching the other guy. He wanted to say something, but it was like somebody cut his tongue out and he wasn´t able to utter even a word.

Thanks to that Kame spotted the older one only after he turned in the end of the main aisle, already done with his task. Jin knew that he should greet the younger one at least, to explain his presence there, anything, but he just couldn´t, feeling his heart sinking down under the Kazuya´s look. The younger one´s face turned cold and his following steps heading to the front part of stalls were tense.

Jin hid his hands into the pockets, fidgeting nervously. He was more and more anxious as Kame was approaching and at the moment the younger guy walked up to him, he was one big standing example of nervousness. But the bartender just passed over him towards the door, saying nothing at all.

Jin was completely frozen for a second, before he turned around hurriedly.

“Kame, wait!” his voice was strange, pinched in the lungs, not having enough air for speaking.

The bartender stiffened with his hand reaching the door, remaining turned to face them.

“Please, wait,” Jin repeated, feeling unpleasantly hot all of the sudden, the invisible hands squeezing his stomach. “I just want to talk with you...”

Kame´s shoulders cowered, as if he had expected a blow. Then he turned back slowly, his eyes dark, and the facial features stiff. The younger one just waited, not saying anything. Jin´s hands turned into the firm fists in their hideouts, as he was searching for his voice to speak again.

“I... about the... yesterday,” he managed to stammer. “I don´t want...”

Jin stopped trying to search for the correct words; if was kind of impossible, anyway. He couldn´t bear it, with those eyes watching him. There was no way how he could explain it properly…

“We are still friends, right?” he asked in the end, feeling cornered. He would have sworn that he wasn´t that nervous ever in his life.

Kame was watching the older one motionless, but his expression changed, somehow softened and he looked much more as the Kazuya Jin had got to know weeks ago.

“Of course we are, Jin,” the bartender said, his voice silent and without any negative emotions.

Jin breathed out in relief. Kame talking to him - that was some progress.

“Good. I just want it to stay that way...” he said and continued hurriedly, fearing that Kazuya would not want to listen. “I shouldn´t have done what I did. I didn´t want to insult you or hurt you... It was... Ah, this is stupid. I´m not good at this stuff...”

“Jin,” the younger´s voice interrupted his blabbering. “You didn´t notice that I´m not angry because of what you did...”

Jin´s breathe jammed in his lungs and he couldn´t tear his eyes off Kazuya´s face. Was it only him, or was the guy really blushing a little?

“Ehm...” Jin hesitated.

_What am I supposed to say now? What if I make it even worse?_

“Well, but... I wouldn´t have been surprised if you were... angry. Because it was... wrong.”

After those words Kame´s face turned very cold again and his eyebrows bent in the frowning line.

“Says who?” he asked, and Jin realized that the younger one was upset.

“What? What do you mean?” he reacted, a little confused.

“Who says it was wrong, Jin?” Kame asked again.

Jin was baffled at that moment. For him, it was so clear that they did something wrong; they were not supposed to... kiss, because they were...

“Well, the manners...” he murmured finally.

“The manners...” Kazuya repeated slowly and took one step closer to him. “All right. So tell me... Did you _feel_ it was wrong?”

Jin gulped down heavily, not being able to respond. Kame approached even closer, so he ended up right in front of Jin, looking into his eyes.

“Just tell me what you felt,” the younger one asked quietly.

 _Oh, hell, he is so close again..._ Jin almost panicked. He felt Kazuya´s warm breath on his face, he could sense the faint smell of cigarettes and hay, which were clinging to the guy thanks to his workplace, and there was also a slight fragrance of something what reminded Jin wet needles, the cold morning in the woods and freshly baked cakes. Naturally, that was not possible, but still… Jin felt it.

Those brownish eyes were creating a hole in him, making his heart dancing in the throat... That flood of emotions was incredible. But... But... There was something... strange. It was against everything what Jin was ever taught. He couldn´t just forget about it.

“I... I can´t...” he breathed out and regretted saying it almost immediately.

The surprising anger appeared in Kame´s eyes. All of the sudden his hands grabbed Jin for the coat´s collar, and pulled the older guy him closer. Jin didn´t expect the slim bartender being able to be so rough and he staggered a little, finding the support at the door of the closest stable.

“If you really think that it was so wrong, why the hell did you do it in the first place?!” Kame´s voice was loud and kind of desperate. “Why did you kiss me, Jin?!”

It hurt almost physically to see the younger one like that. Jin was helpless and didn´t know what to do to fix what went wrong. He didn´t want to lose Kazuya. He had already realized that he needed to have the beautiful bartender by his side…

“I... I´m sorry...” he tried desperately.

“And I told you to stop apologizing for it!” Kame´s voice went really high this time. “Don´t you realize it at all?”

Jin´s heart felt as if it wanted to jump out of his chest. He opened his mouth to say something, to ask for what Kame had meant, even though the part of him already knew, but the younger guy was the first one to speak again.

 “It´s not like only you kissed me,” he said. “I kissed you too, you moron.”

*

Kame didn´t expect much from the young moody gunslinger. Not after how he had reacted the previous evening. Not after what he had heard out from the older one. But... He hoped for at least _something_. Anything, apart from being sorry.

But Kazuya couldn´t recognize his own behavior; he was actually shocked by how much Jin influenced him. And this foolish attempt to provoke some reaction from the older one, why the hell did he do that?

Despite that, Jin remained silent. Kame was looking into his dark eyes and saw confusion and worries. The other one´s face was a picture of being helpless. There was something more too, a glimpse of a completely different emotion, but if Jin was not able to name it, how could he?

Kame released his grip around Jin´s coat. Could he even reproach the older guy his attitude, when Jin himself didn’t know what to do with his feelings, which were in the direct opposition to what he was taught? The gunslinger was scared of what was happening between them. Kame realized it finally and that realization made him to calm down a little.

How comes it made him so much pissed? It was perfectly understandable, that Jin´s fear…

The older one was observing him almost pleadingly and that look awoke the faint guilt inside Kame. He had quite a different point of view on the love relationships, but that didn´t mean he could force Jin to think the same. Or that he had the right to be angry at him.

Kazuya took a step back, so that he created some free space between them. He didn´t even realize that he forced Jin to retreat to one of the stables.

“I know, but...” Jin whispered, still holding onto the wooden counter behind him, as he was trying to force himself not to move. “I don´t want to lose you, Kazuya… Can you... Can you understand?”

Kame´s heart was squeezed into the tiny fast-beating object hearing that. The silent statement sounded a little strangled, like there was something in Jin´s throat, what prevented him from talking in a usual way. And that something appeared in his throat as well, when Kame thought about what to say.

It was kind of selfish from Jin, but the truth was that he didn´t want to push the handsome gunslinger away from his life either. It was still only hardly understandable, how much attached to him Kame became after such a short time they knew each other. But it was not worth spoiling it just because of one… kiss.

“Yes... I´m still on your side, Jin…” Kame managed to say finally. “Nothing changed on that.”

Jin stared on him for a while, before he dared to smile a little.

“I´m glad to hear that…”

They were looking at each other for a minute, and despite the final mutual agreement the tense anxiety arose between them, which thickened the air.

“So…” Kame encouraged himself to speak again and change the subject of their conversation. “Did you find out anything new? I´ve noticed you rode away today...”

Jin cleared his throat and focused his eyes somewhere to the ground, while he responded.

“Well, I did, but you won´t like it… Walker had no luck looking for those Sioux rebels, that´s not so surprising, but…”

“But? Grenet?” Kame guessed.

“Yeah… He sent Brad and some other guy to search for the Blackfeet village again.”

Kame frowned, not really surprised: “I so knew it… I saw them leaving the city this morning.”

“The deputy won´t give up so easily,” Jin murmured and made two steps along the stable and then back again, as if he was trying to shake some numbness away.

“I just hope that the tribe moved to their winter sanctuary already, as Liwan told me the last time,” Kame said.

“I hope so, too,” Jin nodded.

And it was there again. The tense silence, during which neither Jin nor Kame knew what to say or what to do.

“Well… I think I should go and help Mr. Harada to close the saloon…” Kame stated and moved towards the exit slowly.

“Ah, all right,” Jin nodded vigorously, but didn´t move even by inch.

Kame stared at the older one.

“So, if you excuse me…” he said, pointing out at the door, in front of which Jin was standing at the moment.

“Sure, sure!” Jin moved away so hastily, that he bounced to the row of pitchforks near the wall and threw them all down with the awfully loud sound, which made both of them almost jump off their skins.

After the noise died out, they moved at the same moment to collect the pile of the tools up from the ground.

“Damn it all…” Jin swore. “It´s all right, Kame, I got it,” he was waving the other one away. “I´ll take care of it; just go to your job…”

“Stop blabbering, I´ll help you a little,” Kame hushed the older one.

Of course they ended up picking up the last one both at once.  They both flinched back from the touch of their fingers, when they met on the handle. The last pitchfork hit to the already standing colleagues and threw them down again.

“Damn…” both of them spoke at the same time, and their eyes met surprised, before running off.

“I´ll rather go then…” Kame said, stumbling over the words a little.

“Yeah, I´ll clean it up, don´t worry,” Jin assured him.

Kame nodded and slipped out through the door.

Jin spent more than two minutes by putting the tools back on their place, thinking over that sad expression Kame had... and about the possibility they had for talking in a normal way, as before. If there was any at all...

***

 

Early in the next morning, Kame found his employer on the saloon´s veranda, engrossed in serious discussion with Captain Walker. They didn´t even let the bartender to greet them properly and stopped him right away.

“I´d like to ask you for a favor again, Kamenashi,” Captain blurted without any long start. “I´ve just spoken with Mr. Harada and he is willing to give you two or more days off for it.”

Kame eyed the saloon´s owner, who was biting on his morning cigarette, and seemed not very happy about the issue.

“Why? What´s going on, Captain? How can I help you?” he asked.

“To be honest, we´re somewhat lost in the woods around here…” Walker started explaining. “I assume you have quite a good knowledge of them, and I´d like to use your help once again.”

“But, Captain, I have my job here and I can´t just…”

“Mr. Harada understands the seriousness of the situation. We need to find those rebels, Kamenashi. And I´m sure you want to clear your Blackfeet Tribe friends from all possible accusations, right? The sooner we find Sioux Indians, sooner they can be at peace.”

Walker was able to talk very nicely about something like that. He was reasonable and very convincing, Kame had to admit.

“Well…” he reacted, still hesitating. “When do you want to set off?”

“Within an hour, if possible?” Walker suggested.

Considering the current situation, Kame assumed that it wouldn´t be so bad to go away from the city and especially from Jin for a while, so eventually this proposition appeared quite convenient.

“Is it really no problem, sir?” Kame looked at his employer again.

“It´s a middle of the working week, meaning not so many customers; I´ll handle it,” Harada shrugged. “And we need to keep our city safe, right? And according to what here Mister Captain told me, you can help with that…”

“All right,” Kame nodded. “I will try my best to help you, Captain.”

“I´m really relieved to hear that, thank you,” Walker seemed honestly glad about his response. “Let´s meet in front of the stables, then.”

*

 

“Good morning, boss!” a loud greeting of the youngster in high boots and with the green scarf around his head, was heard all over another veranda, belonging to Sheriff´s Office this time, where Grenet was sitting with his feet leant on the railing, sipping on his morning cup of strong coffee.

He pierced that eager beaver with an annoyed look; he hated to be interrupted during the mornings, when he was still half-asleep.

“What is it, Danny?” he growled.

“The telegram from Sheriff Trent came for you, boss. The telegrapher gave it to me, saying that I should hand it over as soon as possible.”

“He definitely took his time, that bastard,” Grenet commented, almost surprised that the message came at all. Trent had a tendency to be reckless. And it was already weeks ago, when Brad was there trying to find out some information about Akanishi. “Give it to me.”

“Here,” the young man was handing over the piece of folded paper obligingly.

Grenet took it casually, still sipping on the dark liquid and skimmed through a few lines. Before his eyes reached the end of the telegram, half of the gulp, which he just had in his mouth, ended sputtered out at the paper.

“…the fuck?!!”

The errand-boy stepped back a little, surprised by the sudden outburst and a little scared. He wanted to build his position among Grenet´s men slowly and surely and it wouldn´t be good if he was targeted for just bringing the bad news.

“That little son of a bitch!” Grenet cursed awfully, rumpling the paper in his hand. “Danny!” he barked at him.

“Yes, sir?” he asked carefully.

“Go for Akanishi. Tell him we´re leaving to the farm. Now!”

“Yes, sir. Right away, sir. I´m going, sir,” Danny blabbered and dashed away towards the saloon.

Grenet didn´t hear him; he was just gritting his teeth in anger. He hid the paper into the pocket, jumped on his feet and dumped inside the office for his hat and coat, while the words in the telegram were burning inside his head teasingly, making him more and more angry...

**To:** **Math Grenet, Deputy of Sheriff in Bozeman**

**From: Trent, Sheriff in Billings**

**Just returned to city and got your message STOP Beware of Jin Akanishi STOP He was friend of Tomohisa Yamashita STOP He may want revenge STOP Awaiting instructions END**


	22. Bad feelings

**K** ame was standing a little aside from the group of widely yawning soldiers, soothing Ukushi across her long neck slowly. He was wondering gloomily, if it was not a big mistake to leave the city now, when he spotted a tall figure rushing towards the stalls, in front of which they were waiting for Captain Walker, who needed to arrange something at the post office before their departure. It was Jin, dressed in his travelling clothes, the dark hat capturing his usually so disheveled hair, the red scarf around his neck and the lobes of his coat flying behind him as the young man proceeded towards the opened entrance by the fast steps.

Kazuya had to kick himself to stop adoring the older guy, and upset about his own incapability to control those feelings, which flooded him every time he saw the handsome gunslinger.

Jin noticed his presence as well, his eyebrows rose up in surprise and then, just before he stepped inside the wooden building, he moved with his head a little, indicating Kame to follow him.

The bartender checked his future companions for the journey first, making sure that the soldiers didn´t pay any attention to him.

“Stay on alert,” he whispered into Ukushi´s ear and entered the stalls hastily.

He found Jin in the Kuro´s stable, where he was just fastening the saddle on the animal, preparing him for leaving. The stallion seemed quite excited from the opportunity to get out, as he was snorting gently.

“What´s going on?” Kame asked in a quiet voice.

“I don´t know,” Jin responded and reached out for the bridle, which was hanging on the wall. “I was just told that we are leaving to the farm, immediately. And I have a bad feeling about it. That boy who came to tell me was weird,” he said and patted the Kuro´s neck gratefully, appreciating that he remained calm despite that Jin was moving around him in a hurry.

“What do you mean by ´weird´?” Kame knitted his eyebrows concerned.

Jin turned to face the younger one, his eyes hidden in the hat´s shadow.

“I think he was scared…” he said slowly. “And also nervous. It seems that Grenet is not in the good mood.”

“That´s never good news…” Kame stated cheerlessly.

This information only piled up to his doubts about going out into the woods.

“What about you? What are you doing here with them?” Jin asked, looking towards the stalls´ exit for a second, from where the voices of soldiers were heard.

“Walker asked me for help again, to find the Sioux rebels,” Kame answered carefully. “I will help them to search for the tracks.”

Jin´s mouth created a not very satisfied shape and then he turned to his horse again. But Kame already knew this expression of the older one, which he used when he didn´t like something.

“For how long?” Jin´s next question was.

“Two, maybe three days,” Kame shrugged. “Depends on how it will go.”

“Hmm…”

A hardly recognizable murmur could mean anything and Kame had no time to examine what, as he already heard Walker outside.

“Listen, Jin...”

The dark eyes stopped checking if the bridle was placed in the Kuro´s muzzle correctly and focused at Kame.

“If anything happens and I won´t be here, leave the message at my mother, all right?” he asked the older one urgently.

“Agreed…” Jin nodded.

“Fine, I have to go now…”

Kame managed to make only one step, before he was stopped by the gentle catch on his wrist. He turned back to Jin questioningly, trying to ignore the fact that his heart started to beat faster only thanks to that simple touch. The fingers holding him were firm and warm.

“Be careful, Kame…” Jin´s voice was soft and Kazuya had a feeling that the older one wanted to say something more, but he changed his mind in the end.

“You too. Especially around Grenet,” he emphasized worriedly.

“Don´t worry, I´ll step on his neck first,” Jin grinned, but the grimace seemed forced to Kame. He gulped down to push back that bad feeling from their separation.

“I know you will…” he said aloud, to ensure yourself more than Jin. “See you soon.”

“Yeah...”

Jin released his hold and Kame moved away, slipping from it. He rushed back to the soldiers and didn´t look back. He was afraid that if he did, he wouldn´t have been able to leave anymore.

“Ah, Kamenashi!” the captain called over as soon as he spotted the young bartender. “Here you are! Are you ready?”

Kame just nodded shortly and by the quick move he got on his patiently waiting mare. Fortunately, the annoying numbness already left his body and almost all the bruises were gone by that time, so at least he didn´t have to expect any problems of that kind on their travel.

“All right!” Walker followed his example as the first, bobbing up into the saddle. “Soldiers! We´re leaving!”

When Jin came out of the stalls only a few seconds later, leading Kuro for the bridle, the group had already disappeared behind the corner, leaving only the tracks in the muddy ground.

*

 

On the way to Karnaka´s farm, Jin´s bad mood and suspicion didn´t disappear despite he was trying to suppress it and behave casually. Grenet was not talking to him; or better say, he didn´t even look at him, ignoring him all the way. So that hunch, which was telling Jin to end this game and run while he still could, just got stronger.

But he had no evidence that something was wrong, it was just his stupid feeling and he was not such a coward to run away from the first obstacle in his way. There was still his vow to avenge Yamapi... So he remained with the fast-riding horsemen till the very end, until they reached the white ranch.

Still unusually silent Grenet disappeared in the house, leaving them alongside the building just as before. His men started to chat excited and curious, obviously not sure about what was going on either.

Jin went aside a little, turning his back to them and just for certainty, he checked his revolvers. They were both loaded and ready to shoot anytime. But it wouldn´t help him much, if he was forced to go in front of that scary old man without them again...

He sighed, leaving that issue to the destiny and he wanted to go back to Kuro, who was tied to the same pole as the first time they were on this place, when he spotted some black woman in the beige uniform going out from the back door, which probably led into the kitchen. She was dragging some basket, which looked awfully heavy. She wasn´t old, not even ugly, but she seemed ill. Her dark skin was unusually grey and she was panting heavily, the drops of sweat on her forehead.

Jin didn´t think about it much, when his feet moved. The last time he tried to ignore all those slaves around, but it was an almost impossible task for him and at the moment, he could use something what would suppress his nervousness a little. The woman was so focused at her job, that she didn´t notice the young gunslinger coming until he stood right in front of her. She was so surprised, that she didn´t even protest, when Jin took the basket out of her hands.

“Where do you need this, madam?”

The slave just opened her mouth, staring at him, totally shocked. Jin smiled a little to encourage her.

“It´s all right,” he stated firmly. “I´ll carry it away, just tell me where to.”

The black one moved with her hand slowly and pointed with it towards the huge pit of compost railed with the wooden fence nearby. Only then Jin realized that he took quite a smelly thing from her, as the basket probably contained the leftovers of food. So he was there throwing the content of basket onto the rotting pile in the pit faster than the woman was able to stop being amazed.

“Here you go,” he said, giving the empty container back to her.

Once again, her lips parted to say something, but before she could, another voice outran her.

“What the hell are you doing here, Akanishi?”

It was one of his companions, that youngster who came for him to the saloon, almost running towards them. The woman practically tore the basket out of Jin´s hands and disappeared back in the house faster than a blink of eye.

“Nothing important,” Jin shrugged. “No big deal.”

“Are you completely stupid?” Danny was more upset than Jin had expected. He started to push him back to the group quite roughly. “We must _not_ help the slaves, you idiot!”

Jin didn´t like being tossed around by somebody younger than himself, so he resisted and stopped, causing that Danny almost tripped over him.

“Why?” he asked the younger man sharply. “What´s so bad about it?”

“Because they are _Mr. Karnaka´s slaves_ , damn it!” the youngster exclaimed.  “I just hope nobody saw you!”

“Even if, then what...” Jin murmured annoyed. “Fucked up rules...”

Danny stared at him wide-eyed, as Jin returned to his horse without saying anything else.

*

 

Kame didn´t realize that he was unconsciously directing his mare out of the most convenient path cutting through the woods in the north from Bozeman, until Ukushi herself stopped her movement forward and turned her white head back to check up on her master, snorting slightly. Only then he had noticed that his hands were holding the bridle more tightly than was necessary, forcing the animal to go towards one side, so that they ended up between the huge ugly puddle of mud and the bunch of thorny bushes.

Kazuya sighed in resignation over own restlessness. He let himself being carried away by the thoughts about Jin once again.

If only the older guy didn´t behave how he did. He wanted to be Kame´s friend, but did he not realize that he was supposed to keep his distance a little then? Why did Jin have to be so... irresistible? But then again, Kame would have not fallen for him, if Jin´s attitude was colder... Well, probably, how could one know?

The young bartender reached out his hand to touch Ukushi in a silent apology and incited her to move on. Together they outran the soldiers who were following their leader obediently in the straight line and he caught up with the Walker´s horse in the front.

“So... Kamenashi,” the blue eyes pierced him with a surprising urgency before he could say anything. “Are you ready to discuss our course of action now?” the captain asked.

Kame felt the embarrassment ruling over his face. Captain must have noticed his daydreaming...

“My apologies, Captain, I was a little distracted…“  
“It´s all right in case that you´re fully awake now,” Walker assured him.

“Yes, of course,” Kame nodded firmly, really grateful that the man didn´t want to investigate his behaviour any further.

“Great. So, any ideas?”

Kame let all information, which he had received from the captain and his soldiers about the attack so far, go through his mind once again, before he replied.

“What parts of the outskirts you´ve already searched through?”

“Mainly the south, the surroundings of the road to the Blackfeet Tribe as well. And my men have also checked the area under the Bridger Canyon.”

“Bridger Canyon?” Kame repeated surprised. “Around Karnaka´s property? Why there in particular?”

“I was informed that there have occurred some theft issues recently…”  
“Informed by Grenet, I guess,” the younger one murmured narrowing his eyebrows.

“Yes, by the deputy,” Walker confirmed.

“I´m sure he had presented you his ideas along with that,” Kame assumed.

“I thought that by now you already know, that I do not accuse anyone without evidence, Kamenashi,” the captain stated.

“Yes, Captain, I know...” he admitted. “Anyway, I´d like to start at the place where you were attacked...“

This time it was Walker, who observed Kamenashi in surprise.

“Well, I don´t think we can find any more tracks there. We´ve already tried before, but those attackers... It was like they had vanished in the air. And after all that raining...“

“I know, but trust me in this, Captain,” Kame persuaded the man. “It´s a good spot to start our search.“

Walker repaid the young man´s firm look for a while, before he nodded seriously and took the lead with the fast trot in the direction, where they were supposed to find the future railway track.

*

 

It took hell a lot of time before Grenet appeared outside again. At least for Jin it seemed that way. At first, he had only noticed that a few gunmen moved away from their horses and disappeared behind the corner. But nobody called him there.

Kuro clipped his ears sharply. Jin looked at the animal and from the sudden impulse he loosened the knot on his bridle. Then he let his hands partially slip into the pockets of his trousers, keeping them close to the revolvers. He remained leaning over the thick pole pretending to be as relaxed as before.

Shortly after that finally Grenet came into his field of vision.

“Akanishi! Come here,” he ordered him strictly, waiting just at the corner of the building.

Jin left his spot and walked towards the man, feeling tenser than a string of his guitar. Checking the situation quickly, he found the rest of gunmen resting on the other side of the building, leaning over the wall or the railing of veranda. It seemed too casual, though...

“Without your guns,” Grenet informed him. “Our boss wants so speak with you.”

Then the deputy set off towards the front entrance without looking back and one of his capers reached out the hand to Jin, waiting for his revolvers. It took him a lot of efforts to stay calm, when he handed them over and went after Grenet. Nobody stopped him; they were just watching him quietly.

Grenet was standing at the entrance and when Jin reached him, he indicated him to go inside first, where that creepy servant was already waiting to lead him to Karnaka.

“Move your ass, now,” Grenet´s voice was sharp and filled with suppressed anger. Hearing it, Jin looked into the man´s eyes and almost jumped back for his revolvers recognizing the burning hostility in them. That wasn´t good...

“Don´t make me repeat it, dumbass,” Grenet growled and pushed Jin inside the corridor towards Cameron who led the way.

There were other guards inside, watching his every single step. There was nothing he could do. If he resisted and tried to escape, it would have only meant his exposure. The second option was to follow the servant and find out what made Grenet so pissed.

They entered the same huge saloon as before, in which the master of the mansion always met with his subordinates.

“Jin Akanishi,” Karnaka´s voice welcomed him. The old man was sitting in his armchair as usually, smoking a cigar, from which quite a nice smell was leaking out. “Sit,” he pointed at the chair right opposite from him with the hand holding the expensive tobacco pleasure.

Jin obeyed and focused his eyes on the old man, trying to read in his completely unreadable expression. Creepy Cam, as he renamed the servant for himself, took his place at Karnaka´s left hand and Grenet remained standing right behind Jin´s chair.

The tension already flooded his whole body, and he couldn´t hide it anymore, at least not in front of Karnaka, judging according to the man´s next words.

“Relax, boy,” his boss said. “I would like to ask you just a few questions.”

“Of course, sir,” Jin managed to react.

A very cold look focused on him directly and basically froze him in the chair.

“You came here from Billings, am I right?” Karnaka asked; his voice incredibly calm and composed.

Jin gulped down before he was able to talk: “That´s true.”

“Then I´m sure that a name _Yamashita Tomohisa_ rings a bell for you...”

Hearing Yamapi´s name from the mouth of that gangster was as if somebody hit Jin with a pan. He felt his chin turned into the stone, when he responded. He felt that there would be absolutely no point in lying anymore.

“Yes, I knew him, sir,” he admitted and waited for the final blow.

“And how well did you know him?” Karnaka asked, still so damn calm.

Jin took a slow breath: “He was my friend.”

He heard Grenet´s feet shifting over the expensive carpet, but didn´t move even by one muscle. Jin knew he was in big trouble this time, but he was still holding on the possibility to talk out of it.

“A friend, huh,” the old man took a deep inhale from his cigar. “So, I suppose you´re familiar with the issue he had with me.”

Jin assumed that he could say nothing else than a truth in this case either. Somehow, they had found out about his relation with Yamapi. It was not important how, but what consequences would come out from it for him.

“Yes... I know that he didn´t want to sell his lands to you, sir,” and somehow he found the courage and mainly the nerves to add the next sentence. “But that was solved after he was condemned to death, wasn´t it?”

Karnaka blinked. It was only a blink, but Jin caught for this hint as for the last resort.

Yes, he can talk out from this...

“Well, if you take it that way, than yes,” Karnaka nodded. “But what do you think about his verdict, Akanishi?”

Jin tried to look confused.

“What exactly do you mean, sir? I just know that he was condemned by the trial for a murder. He paid for what he did. What should I think about it?”

“He´s lying,” Grenet hissed behind his back angrily. “He´s lying, sir, I´m sure that...!”

“Silence, Math.”

Grenet shut up obeying the cold order. Karnaka focused on Jin again.

“So you do not blame me for what happened with _your friend_?”

“There is no reason for blaming you, sir,” Jin said, but his voice grated like the old hinges and he knew it.

Karnaka kept their eye contact for three long seconds, before he started to pay attention to his cigar again.

“You know, boy, I´d like to believe you,” he said slowly. “So, I´ll give you a chance to prove your loyalty to me, what do you say?”

The bad feeling returned to Jin with a full force. Grenet behind his chair murmured something very vulgar, but no one was paying attention to him.

“I appreciate it, sir,” he said seriously.

“Great,” Karnaka doused his cigar in the ashtray. “Listen, I have a small problem with one family in the city. They are not willing to understand their place; you know what I mean, boy?”

Jin nodded, waiting for the order nervously.

“I´d like you help me to solve it. You´ll go to the city and burn their house down. And if they stayed inside during the process, it would be very helpful.”

Jin watched the old man´s calm face, as he had just sentenced some probably innocent people to death. Did he have the same expression when he gave an order to get rid of Yamapi? Or Kame´s family? Jin started to feel sick and he had to clench his hands into fists, so that the nails hurt his skin, to keep himself sitting.

“Math will help you to cover the tracks, you do not need to worry,” Karnaka finished his instructions.

“I understand, sir,” Jin was almost surprised he was still able to talk. “Who are they? That family, which causes problems to you?”

“Ah, right. They are Kamenashi´s,” Karnaka revealed casually.

The blood in Jin´s veins changed into the burning ice. His breath was captured in the lungs and he was not able to push it out again. His heart skipped a beat, before racing up again in crazy speed.

_Kamenashi... Kazuya and his mother... That can´t be real..._

“There are only two of them. Mother and her son,” Cameron completed the information calmly, only to assure Jin that he didn´t overhear that horrific information.

“It should not be difficult for somebody as capable as Math told us you are,” Karnaka continued nodding his head.

Even in the case of some unknown family, Jin wouldn´t have been able to fulfil this order. He would have tried to warn them or something. But Kamenashi´s... He pressed his lips together; he wouldn´t have been able to say something even if he wanted, his throat was too narrow for it.

“And it suits you...” Karnaka added suddenly. “Your father was the one who had already started the solution of this problem. It will be only right, if you finish what he screwed up, right?”

That cruel cold voice was booming with echoes in Jin´s head. He couldn´t believe own ears.

_My father? My father was the one who... Oh, hell no... No... No!_

“Akanishi,” the old gangster was expecting his reaction.

“Yes, you´re right, sir.”

Jin didn´t know, who said that, because it was definitely not him. But Karnaka seemed satisfied with that.

“Excellent. Now you can go. I expect the results till the end of week. Cameron, next cigar. I feel like having one more today.”

“Move, greenhorn!” the ugly voice almost knocked Jin off the chair. “We´ve got a job to do.”

Jin got up and turned away from the sitting man, to whom his servant was just lightning up the next bloody expensive nail in the coffin, which was nowhere to be seen, unfortunately. Grenet in front of him turned too, and Jin´s eyes spotted his gun under the belt. Grenet was the only one allowed to take a gun for meeting with Karnaka. It was probably the only thing capable to cause any harm in the whole room, and within the reach of his hand.

Not many things ran through Jin´s mind during those mere two seconds. He didn´t actually think about what he was doing. He just did what his heart told him to do. His heart simply knew that he would never be able to harm Kazuya or his mother, no matter the circumstances. No matter if he had to give up on his revenge.

This was his only chance. It was close to impossible that there would be any other opportunity for him being in one room with Karnaka and a shooting weapon. He had to try it now. No time to think what would happen then.

By the movement, which was faster than anything he had ever done, Jin grabbed the revolver and took it out from its sheath. Grenet´s head twitched back to him immediately, but he was too late. Like a flash, Jin turned back towards the comfortable armchair and that heartless murderer sitting in it and he pulled the trigger…

*

 

Kame´s eyes observed the ruefully empty space in the middle of woods. The trees were cut down, the stumps refuted along with their roots, the ground flattened. There were no rails, not yet. Only the nature was raped and its shape recreated to adapt it to the progress of civilization. Very soon, there was supposed to be the iron road for locomotives, which would be churning out the smoke and dirt onto the pure green trees, which were left around, and which would scare off the wild animals, forcing them to retreat deeper into their territory or be killed by the merciless technique, which was invented to make the human life easier.

But it was not only the animals´ territory. It also belonged to Indians, since always. It was clear why they were angry, why they still fought for what was their homeland, despite they were already almost exterminated by the greedy white nation. And there he was, helping out those people, those thieves, despite he wished with his whole being to stop that mad expansion into the places, which were sacred to his friends, to his second family.

“Kamenashi?” Captain Walker was observing the young bartender worriedly. “Is there something wrong?”

“Everything,” the young man responded quietly.

Walker raised his eyebrows, but Kame didn´t let him to ask more questions. There would be absolutely no point in trying to explain to the soldier what he felt.

“You told me that they attacked from both sides of this... road, right?” he asked while still looking at that ugly scar in otherwise beautiful landscape. “And then they ran off to the east, towards the lake.”

“Yes,” Walker nodded. “We had searched there already; I thought that they might have their camp somewhere near the water. But we didn´t find a single clue.”

“I think they just tried to puzzle you. I doubt they would have camped at the lake´s bank, they would have been too exposed there,” Kame was thinking aloud now. “They pretended to retreat in the direction of lake, but I would search for them on the opposite side.”

“In those mountains?” Walker´s eyebrows went high. “It doesn´t seem very friendly there...”

He was not wrong; the peaks on the right side were almost bare of any green colour and very sharp even from this distance. But Kame knew the way how the Indians think very well and under what conditions they were able to survive.

“When are the workers supposed to reach this area?” Kame asked.

“In the spring, but to be honest I doubt that; they always promise impossible,” Walker reacted. “I don´t think that any train will go through here sooner than within two years.”

“But the surveyors you protect are checking it now already,” the younger man objected. “It´s only my opinion, but Sioux rebels want to prevent the construction of this railway for all costs. And when they found out about this preparation, they focused on it. They won´t allow anyone to work on it here. And also, the winter will be coming soon. So if they moved into this area, I suppose they will stay here, at least till the spring. In the mountains they are well hidden and protected; nobody would think that they will be hiding there, exactly as you. They control the future railway, they are safe and they can attack easily, too. I´m not saying they are somewhere there for sure. But if they are, they have to hunt and collect some provisions for the winter, so I think it´s worth of checking if we find any tracks after them.”

Kame stopped talking and found the rest of the group staring at him wordlessly, including the captain.

“What is it?” he asked feeling uncomfortable.

“You know quite a lot about Indians, Kamenashi,” Walker said obviously impressed.

“I lived among them for years,” Kame murmured. “But again, I´m telling you these are my assumptions.”

“But I think you are completely right,” Walker nodded. “Back on the horses, we still have time, so we will check it. Can you lead the way?”

“Of course...”

*

They proceeded quite well from the start, but very soon the terrain got more difficult and they had to look for the possible ways to get higher carefully.

They were going through the area, where they had to overcome the huge rocks, which blocked their headway, when suddenly, Ukushi snorted a short warning. Kame stiffened on her back, listening to the wind in the tree tops behind them. Walker stopped his horse too.

“What´s going on?” the uniformed man asked.

Kame raised his hand to hush him and kept checking their surroundings. He felt being watched. And right after his ears caught the strange whiz, which he knew very well, he realized it was not only the feeling.

“Watch out!!” he yelled at the group behind him and slipped down from Ukushi hurriedly, just in time to avoid an arrow, which was aiming at his neck.

Walker and two soldiers were quick enough to follow him and covered themselves behind their horses too, but the other two were not so lucky. The lethal arrows found their goals. The last man in their line fell down with the arrow in his right eye. The other one ended up on the ground screaming in pain, as the thing pierced him through the shoulder.

“That rock!” Walker screamed the order. “Quickly!”

Kame knew what place the captain had on his mind, he had already spotted it as well. It was the huge stone in the steep, which could cover them from above. But first they had to get there through the rainfall of arrows...


	23. Kuro´s moment

**T** he invisible attackers had a huge advantage on their side – the moment of surprise. If Kame and the soldiers didn´t happen to be nearby that rock, into its shadow they escaped as fast as they were only able to, while Captain Walker supported the wounded soldier on the way, it was highly probable that the precise arrows would have killed or at least hurt all of them. But fortunately, at least the luck was with them, and as soon as they slipped under the natural protection, the arrows, which were threatening them during their escape despite the difficult angle of the shooters´ position, couldn´t reach them anymore.

Three of the five horses, which belonged to soldiers, ran away somewhere between the rocks and scrubby trees, Ukushi remained by Kame´s side faithfully, as well as Captain´s stallion.

Kazuya made sure that his mare was unharmed first, and after that he focused on the rest of their little group. The two remaining of Walker´s men were on full alert with their rifles in hands, observing the open side of their temporary shelter, while the third one was groaning in pain quietly. Captain, who had helped the man to sit down and lean over the wall of the huge rock, stood up from him, turned and looked at Kame.

“I have to say that I didn´t expect your help to be so efficient,” he stated and started to check out his revolvers carefully.

“Believe me, Captain, me neither,” Kame reacted and observed their surroundings, while Ukushi was neighing behind him softly.

“They are almost directly above us,” Walker assumed.

“Yes, at least six, but no more than ten,” Kame reacted.

Captain moved closer to him, checking all possible spots from where the attackers could appear.

“How can you tell?” he asked.

“There were no more than six shots at once and according to the type of attack it´s a small group,” Kame explained.

“I´m amazed that you were able to count the arrows in this situation,” Walker murmured appreciatively. “Well, a small group or not, they managed to surprise us anyway...”

Captain gave one painful glance to the lying body on the rocky road a few meters away, before turning to Kame again.

“You have no firearm?” he asked after checking out his hands.

Kame repaid his look firmly.

“No.”

“Ah...” Walker seemed surprised and at the same time not so much.

Kame himself didn´t really think about it when they set off from the city, he wasn´t used to carrying a gun with him. The bear hunt with Jin was an exception. Not only he had a certain form of aversion to any type of lethal weapons, also he didn´t believe he would use it around here. He grew up in the woods, he knew how to survive in them and he knew how to kill anything what would stand in his way even without a rifle.

At that very moment he thought that it was not such a good idea to cling onto this habit, but it was too late to change that. And it was not important right now, as he already saw the way how to get himself and the others from the dangerous situation.

“Do you see that narrow line between the rocks?” he pointed out at the steep path. “It is covered with bushes and I think that those attackers cannot see there. I will go first and distract them. When they will go after me, you can bypass and surprise them from behind.”

“It´s too dangerous, Kamenashi!” Walker stared at him almost shocked. “I cannot let you...”

But Kame didn´t pay an attention to him, as he was already focused on instructing his dear mare. Ukushi shook with her head, then moved away and by the slow trot she overcame the part of the road which was not covered by the huge rock. As Kame thought, no arrow appeared during her passing by. He knew that she would wait for him nearby, if his escape led him too far from the soldiers.

He turned his attention back to frowning Walker then.

“I recommend you to return for the wounded guy later. He would have held you back. Attack them as soon as you will be in sight. They will be focused on me, so you should handle it even in three.”

“Kamenashi!” the captain tried again and even the two other soldiers seemed not too happy about the plan.

“Do you have any better idea?” Kame asked sharply.

The keen silence was a response to his question.

“Give me two minutes the lead,” he said and immediately set off to the difficult way up, crouching behind the thick bushes, which were almost without the leaves, but despite that they were able to hide him from any looks from above.

During ten minutes, which took him to get to the intended spot, from where he hoped he could see the attackers, Kame was so grateful for his training under the lead of the Blackfeet Tribe´s warriors, when they forced him to repeat all those physically very difficult tasks so often, that he was as good in tracking, sneaking and running as any other young Indian. The path he chose was very difficult to climb up and it was very important for him to stay quiet, if he didn´t want to end up as the next dead body on the road under him.

As soon as Kame reached the place and found himself to be a little above the attackers, who were arguing quietly on their quite well-covered position, and whose voices led him during the last meters, he realized that they were really damn lucky.

It seemed that the Indians chose their base for the attack randomly and in a rush. It was not bad for hiding, but completely inconvenient for a sudden attack. Their vision range was given by the narrow space between the rocks under them, which were covering the most of the road on which Kame and the soldiers came. Not to mention that their group was really small, just six Indians and only one of them had a gun. The rest was armed with bows and tomahawks.

Kame was observing them through the twigs of the dead tree for a few seconds. He assumed that their arrival surprised them. The Indians were not from Blackfeet Tribe, he would know immediately. Their clothing style was a little different, the moccasins not so well-made, as they obviously didn´t consider the forthcoming winter and all of them had a black stripe across their eyes. Those were the rebels from Sioux Tribe.

His time for distracting them, which he agreed on with Walker, was almost gone and he had to act fast. He moved back a little and as fast as he only dared to without making any noise, he made a small semicircle. He ended his repositioning on the opposite side of the attackers than from which he came up. He didn´t like the idea of exposing those Indians to the high possibility of death, no matter what tribe they were from, but there was no other choice; the circumstances forced him to it.

Kame checked his escape route, which he hoped would lead him to Ukushi waiting somewhere down under the hill, took a deep breath and he got up on his feet.

“Hey!!“

His loud whoop echoed between the rocks, creating an almost scary effect. It took a few seconds for Indians to spot him on the slope above their heads.

“Aren´t you ashamed, Sioux crows?! Ambushing us from behind?!”

The red men collected themselves very quickly and with the battle cries on their lips they aimed their bows at him. But Kame didn´t wait for any arrows to go in his direction and was already on his way down.

Kazuya was running for his life, fighting not only against the Indians behind him, but also with branches, stones and hidden holes in front of him. It reminded him another recent escape like this one, when he was fleeing from the king of the woods.

He was fast, but so were his chasers. They caught up with him fast. They were not yelling anymore and were pursuing him silently. Kame could feel them behind his back; he could hear the rustles under their feet from time to time.

He was almost back down on the level, where he had started and already two arrows missed him dangerously close, when he finally heard the loud sound of shooting from behind - Walker and his soldiers caught up. Kame immediately jumped behind the closest bole, to avoid the danger of stray bullets.

The Indians were screaming and swearing surprised, the soldiers were shooting fiercely. The forest was full of noise from the unbalanced clash.

When Kame checked up on the situation carefully, he found the Indians retreating up the slope, supporting one of their bleeding companions.

The soldiers with Walker in the lead were reaching his spot, still shooting. They were only three, but they were in advantage now. But the Indians were already too far and in the bad angle.

Anyway, the plan worked out. They were confused by Kame´s appearance on one side and they didn´t expect the others to come from the other one. At that moment, when Kame watched the hasty retreat, one of the Indians turned back to them with quite an angry expression on his face.

Kazuya froze on his spot. He knew that face very well. He probably saw only his back before, otherwise he would have known sooner... He recognized the Indian despite the black stripe. When the Indian´s eyes met his, Kame knew that the other one realized who he was too.

Kame watched him wide eyed, as the Indian spitted onto the ground scornfully and disappeared right before Walker with the revolver in his hand reached him.

“Are you all right?” Walker asked.

“Yes...”Kame breathed out, still in shock.

“Captain! Should we pursue them?!” one of the excited soldiers yelled from above.

“No,” Walker denied immediately. “It´s not worth of troubles, we need some backup.”

“I agree,” Kame stated, collecting himself again. “I´m quite sure that they have their base somewhere around, we would have only run into their arms.”

“But, Captain, what if...!” the second soldier was in somehow over-motivated mood as well.

“As I said!” Walker reacted strictly and focused his eyes on Kame again. “Did you recognize any of them, Kamenashi?”

Kame repaid the sharp glance.

“No, I didn´t,” he said. “Those were Sioux, Captain.”

“All right. We should leave immediately,” Walker said, watching the slope above them. “We will return here with the bigger unit.”

“I suppose they will be long gone by that time,” Kame noted.

“I will not risk the rest of my men´s lives...” Walker replied firmly. “I will send a request for support to the nearest fortress. We found them now; we will find them again.”

Kame didn´t say anything more on that. He felt a little guilty because of that lie he told to the captain. But he just didn´t want to expose whole Blackfeet Tribe to other problems, which they didn´t need. Not when he didn´t know what this was about. Not before he would talk this out with the Chief directly, because the Indian, whom he had recognized, was Manipi; the Tribal Chief´s son.

 

***

 

The mouth of Grenet´s revolver was in the direct line with Karnaka´s head. Although the faithful servant jumped forward to protect his master, he would have been too late, as Jin had already pulled the trigger. The old man was supposed to sit there in his armchair with a huge bloody hole in his damn forehead. He was supposed to be dead. But he was not.

Raynold Karnaka was still looking at Jin with those cold emotionless eyes, with the eyes of the dead man, but he was very much breathing and alive. Jin was standing there with his hand outstretched like a statue, and for a brief moment he didn´t understand what had happened. He did move with his finger to pull the trigger, but the gun didn´t fire.

Then there was a deadly grip on his arm, almost breaking his bones with the force, which made him to release the revolver. And in the next second he couldn´t breathe.

It was Grenet, who wriggled Jin´s right arm behind his back and with the second hand he took him into the suffocating grip around the neck.

“I so knew you would try this, you stupid shithead,” he hissed directly in Jin´s ear. “Just for your information, you wouldn´t have been able to shoot even yourself with it; I took the bullets out.”

Jin said nothing; he had already figured it out. How incredibly huge mistake he had made. He totally underestimated Grenet. And that mistake was probably his last one.

Karnaka, now partially covered by Cameron, who was standing in front of him killing Jin with his eyes, got up from his armchair, still smoking the cigar, totally not shaken out of his composure.

“It´s all right, Cam, thank you,” that old bastard stated.

The servant stepped aside a little and the man approached Jin, who was prevented by the Grenet´s deadly grip from any movement at all.

“Revenge, I suppose,” the old man said, looking into Jin´s eyes.

Jin knew that at least now, he didn´t need to cover anything anymore. But he couldn´t speak, so he just let that anger and hatred he felt to reveal in his look in their full power. Karnaka just grinned awfully.

The pressure, with which Grenet was squeezing his neck, was stealing Jin from breath and the strength to resist. Despite that he had tried a few times to release himself from the grip, making it quite hard for Grenet to hold him down, but that was his limit. He already saw the tiny black spots in front of his eyes.

But Jin didn´t feel fear, not yet at least. He was just angry with himself that he screwed his chance up like that. He awfully underestimated not only Grenet and his suspicion towards him, but also his own bad hunch.

_How could I be so naive?_

If only Grenet had let his gun loaded, Karnaka would have been dead by now. Cameron and Grenet would have probably killed Jin on the spot for that, but at least he would have died knowing he fulfilled his vow, and that maybe he made other people´s lives easier. For example, Kazuya´s life...

But like this... For this failure, he could blame only himself.

“Let him breathe a little, Math,” the boss was so nice to order his subordinate. “I don´t want him to pass out right away.”

The pressure on Jin´s throat released a little, so his lungs could get a little of new air. But the grip around him was still firm as stone, Grenet didn´t intend to let him move even by inch.

Being able to breathe again, Jin´s nose could catch other things too. The man stink after cigarettes and sweat and horses, but almost all cowboys smelled like that, it was nothing new for Jin. But Grenet´s breath was somehow disgusting. It smelled like cold coffee, old tobacco, stale beer and it was mixed with the odour which was coming from that compost, where he threw the ugly content of basket. And this very breath was touching his face. Jin felt like he would vomit from it.

Karnaka was watching him with cold self-confidence, knowing his power over the guy and continued the one-sided conversation.

“Revenge for that pathetic little peasant? I have to say I had higher expectations from you, boy.”

Jin didn´t care about his behaviour anymore, what could go worse, anyway? So all of his hate and disgust he felt, he put into the three words, which he made to go through his throat, sounded half-choked but still clearly.

“Go to hell.”

Karnaka just raised his eyebrows a little and Cameron moved faster than Jin had expected from him. The hard hit under the ribs unsettled his body, despite Grenet was still holding him. Jin had a feeling that he would cough his stomach out, but Grenet didn´t let him bend to release it.

“Watch your manners, you little bastard,” the servant asked him incredibly politely.

At that moment he seemed more disgusting to Jin than Grenet himself.

“I see,” Karnaka said. “You are quite angry with me, boy.”

This time Jin thought it would be wiser to keep quiet. Karnaka gave him the last sharp glance, before he returned to his armchair.

“Math, take care of him,” he decided calmly. “Get from him any information, which may be useful. Especially if he had any accomplice in the city, or not.”

“Of course, sir. Any special instructions?” Grenet asked in the tone, which brought shivers to Jin´s spine.

“No, just keep him alive, otherwise you have a free hand,” Karnaka stated.

“I understand,” Grenet sounded awfully content with the order. He backed off with the hand by which he was strangling him, but he didn´t release his painful grip on Jin´s arm and pushed him towards the door. “Let´s go, fucker. Now we will see how brave you are.”

Grenet basically threw Jin out into the corridor, so that he stumbled on the way, almost falling onto the red carpet. Right after that the two of Karnaka´s guards grabbed him and dragged him out.

Jin knew that he should accept the situation; there was no way out of it, but he couldn´t help to resist and fought with the men, so he was rewarded with quite a few more punches, before he gave up.

His appearance outside was welcomed by the curses and mocking, as the other ass-climbers realized, that a rumour which Grenet had told them before, was real.  Jin just sucked it up and ignored them, as he was tossed further around the house.

“Oh, boss! Boss!” it was young Danny, who was desperately trying to cover for being the one who brought the bad news that morning. “I´m sorry, but what should we do with his horse?”

He was talking to Grenet, who walked behind Jin and his captors till that moment.

“Right, I almost forgot,” Grenet took a few steps aside, observing Kuro, who was still standing on his place patiently, the head turned towards his master. “Your precious horse, greenhorn,” he hissed. “What should we do about it?”

Other men moved closer, in expectation of some _fun_. Jin had absolutely no intention to play this game and kept quiet. Grenet approached Kuro with the self-confident smirk on his lips and probably intended to ride on the animal.

He reached out for the bridle and suddenly everyone around saw the deputy flying in the air. Grenet´s subordinates stared as their boss fell into the grass with a surprised exhale a few steps away.

The black horse snorted and with a surprising gentility he placed his back feet, with which he kicked Grenet as soon as the man was in his reach, back to the ground. The smirk on the sheriff´s deputy face was exchanged with anger from the humiliation.

“So... The horse is just as annoying as his owner, huh?”

Grenet got up on his feet with a dangerous shining in his eyes. Jin was watching him closely, worried about his dear animal friend.

This time the Karnaka´s right hand approached the horse more carefully. He went from the side and he almost grabbed the bridle, when so far innocent and peaceful Kuro jerked his head backwards, releasing his tie from the pole completely and turned into the black tornado. He pranced on his back feet, kicking with the front ones high in the air, the hooves dangerously close Grenet´s head. Grenet backed off surprised as the threatening neighing cut through the air.

“Watch out, boss!”

“Careful!”

“That horse is a devil!”

Jin´s horse was demonstrating quite an impressive example of what indomitable animal can do. Nobody from the men around dared to go closer than three meters from the stallion and even pissed Grenet was not able to approach him, as Kuro was turning on his heels on incredible speed, putting anyone who was close enough to the deadly danger of his hard hooves.

Jin couldn´t help but smiled satisfied, as he saw that deputy bastard in the humiliating situation in front of his men. Once again he was reminded that listening to his instincts pays off. And he was proud of Kuro. During the time on the roads, he had created only hardly believable bond with the animal, which was sometimes more clever than his master, even though Jin would have never admitted that.

But Jin´s smile vanished in the second he saw that Grenet retreated behind one of his men, who were hopelessly trying to capture Kuro, and with the angry hissing started to load his revolver... It was quite clear what he intended to do.

The horror from what might be the result of this gave Jin the strength to resist the two men, who were not holding him so tightly anymore. He got rid of them, pushing one away and kicking the other´s legs so that he fell down heavily and faster than he had thought he was able to, jumped right onto Grenet, knocking him down to the ground, from which he looked up on his jumping horse.

“Kuro! Run!”

His clear and loud voice shouted down all the other noises and also the yelling of Grenet´s capers. Kuro froze on the spot, and his dark eyes focused on Jin. The men around stopped and stared in awe above this sudden change. The animal shook his head in obvious disagreement and Grenet started to fight against Jin´s hold. The others turned to them too; there was no time.

“RUN!” Jin repeated desperately, trying to save at least the faithful animal.

And Kuro moved. Actually the stallion set off so fast, that two men almost didn´t manage to get out of his way; they thrust into each other and fell on the ground in very nice unison. The tramp of horse´s feet hurtled forward to the main gate and away from the group.

Many hands grabbed Jin and got him off Grenet.

“Stop him, you idiots!!” Grenet screamed in furious anger, jumping back up on his feet. “Close that damn gate!!”

But it was too late. Before the guards at the gate were able to comprehend the happenings, Kuro already ran along them, with his mane flying behind and then he was out of the farm´s lands and the sound of his hooves disappeared faster than Jin was able to breathed out for the three times.

Grenet´s face was contorted by pure rage.

“You two!!” he barked at the two poor men weltering on the ground. “Get up, on the horses, catch it for me!”

“But, boss...”

“Shut up and go!”

Nobody dared to say anything to Karnaka´s right hand this time. Two assigned men got up on their feet and ran to their horses. 

Jin, who was hold by three gunmen, was completely sure that they wouldn´t catch up with Kuro. Nobody could catch him, when he was without a rider. He was stuck in this mess, which was basically what he was asking for, but he was really relieved that Kuro wouldn´t end up paying for his mistakes. So Jin didn´t really give a shit about the hateful look which Grenet focused on him as soon as the chasers disappeared behind the gate.

He had probably noticed how satisfied with the happenings Jin was, as he grabbed his collar, pulling him closer.

“You have no idea how much I will enjoy our time spent together from now on, greenhorn,” he hissed right into his face. “You will wish your mother had never given you a birth.”

“I am not afraid of a bastard who pulls out his gun against a horse,” Jin stated calmly.

This time it was Grenet himself, who punched him and caused the sparkling stars in front of Jin´s eyes.

“Get him out of my sight!” Grenet ordered angrily. “We will see, greenhorn, how much humour you will have left, when I´ll be finished with you!”

 

***

 

Their ride back to Bozeman City was long and very quiet.

First they had to look for the horses, which were startled by the unexpected attack and not being for Ukushi, who was able to let Kame know when she sensed her distant relatives, the soldiers wouldn´t have found them at all.

They took the body of a killed soldier with them, as Walker was determined to arrange a proper funeral for him in the city. The other three soldiers grieved for their companion, who was also their friend, but they couldn´t afford to let their guard down and they kept their rifles in hands for the whole way back. And they were also obviously angry, not scared.

They got back quite late, a few hours after the darkness fell onto the city and covered it as wet and ugly blanket. Kame helped the soldiers to take the body of their dead friend, and also the wounded one, to the Dr. Best´s clinic and then headed home finally, too tired to go to the saloon for that evening, even though he knew the pub was still opened.

At least he took care of Ukushi properly, taking time to brush her hair, for which she thanked him by pushing the soft blowholes to his neck and snorting softly. Kazuya smiled and caressed her a few times gratefully. He realized that the mare sensed his uneasiness and tried to calm him down.

Kame let Ukushi have the last apple, which was left from his lunch, and with the tiredness burdening his steps he went out. He closed the stable and intended to move towards the house, when he was stopped by the sound of very fast hooves approaching.

He looked in the direction, from where the gallop was coming, trying to see through the darkness and with his heart beating heavily. It was only three meters from him, behind the Ukushi´s shelter, when he was finally able to see the animal.

The black horse reached their back yard stomping loudly and snorted as soon as he spotted frozen Kame standing in front of him with the lantern in his hand.

It was Kuro. Perspiring, dancing on his four in the small circles as if something evil possessed him, with the saddle on his back, but without a rider. His master was missing.

Terrified Kame just stared at the nervous horse for a while, unable to make his feet move. Kuro came directly to his house all by himself, which almost seemed like a miracle, but the horse being there without Jin could mean only one thing. Something bad happened. And that realization immobilized Kame for a moment, during which he couldn´t stop the flow of horrific scenarios of what might went wrong.

Only the loud neighing of Ukushi from the inside of her shelter reminded him, that Kuro was creating quite a fuss behind their house and that it might attract an unwanted attention.

Kame put the lantern back on its hanger hastily and very carefully approached the scared horse with both his hands in the air to show he meant no harm. It was not easy to grab the bridle, but as soon as he could touch Kuro directly with his other hand, the horse started to calm down.

“It´s going be all right, I promise,” Kame spoke in a quiet voice, and kept holding and caressing the stallion till the movement of the sweating body stopped completely and only the hasty breathing indicated the previous craziness with which Kuro arrived.

“We will help your master, no matter where he is... Agreed?” Kazuya asked the horse quietly.

Kuro snorted anxiously.

“Of course I´ll take you with me,” Kame assured him. “We will save him. We will...”

There were only two options, which Kame was willing to accept. That Jin was somewhere on the road towards Karnaka´s farm wounded, unable to move and Kuro ran away from him for help, or his cover was exposed and they didn´t let him leave the farm, but somehow he managed to let Kuro escape.

He couldn´t let any other option take its place in his mind. He didn´t want to think about the possibility that Kuro´s master was already...

Kazuya closed his eyes for a moment, forcing himself to calm down.

_No need to panic. Just don´t... Just don´t think about it. Jin needs my help now._

“All right,” he whispered to Kuro. “We will hide you for now, so that nobody can see you here. Come on...”

Ukushi´s stable was small, but for a little while it could serve for both animals. Letting Kuro outside or in the stalls behind the saloon was simply not an option. It was better that nobody knew he came to Kame´s house. And fortunately, his mare was tolerant enough to her new neighbour.

Kame took the saddle off Kuro, wiped him dry and gave him some oat. After that he closed the shelter again, leaving the animals alone.

He looked at his home and with a deep sigh he skipped the shortest way to the front door. He needed to go to the saloon first, to check if Grenet returned to the city or not. And then... Then he had to figure something out. For now it seemed that he would have to pay a visit to the place, which he had never desired to see – Karnaka´s farm.


	24. Intermezzo - YAMAPI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This part doesn´t follow the previous chapter, but it´s a necessary piece of the story to understand Jin´s motives...

**T** rust is a tricky thing. When you trust someone, there is always a chance for being betrayed. If you trust nobody else but yourself, you don´t have to be afraid of ending up disappointed and broken later. But you are always alone. When there is nobody to rely on, nobody to whom you can confide with all your troubles; when you can believe only your own instincts, decisions and opinions, no matter how many people are around, it is incredibly lonely.

Jin grew up from a child to teenager trusting no one else than himself. Not that there was nobody who might have the role of his confidant. There were his parents and his brother. But... For each of them there was some ´but´.

He loved his mother, as much as you can love a woman who gave birth to you, but Jin had realized very soon that she was too weak to be his support. Erica Akanishi was too focused at fulfilling every single wish of her husband...

Then there was his younger brother and Jin was totally fond of him. But Leo was too small, only a child; he didn´t really understand what was going on with their family, so Jin couldn´t take him as someone to trust either. More like he had to protect the younger one from anything bad what he was only able to. Which was not the easiest thing to do, and it happened too often that Jin failed in the role of an older brother...

And finally, there was his father. A surly and moody man, who got upset very easily and whose character was deformed by all those failures in his life. Among those failures, Ben Akanishi also included his two sons. That Jin assumed after hundreds of times when he was beaten and locked up in the dark cellar, hungry, thirsty, scared and alone. Not even the word ´trust´ or ´support´ could be connected with that person.

So Jin had a family, but without being able to rely on any of its members, he was alone. It was sometimes painful and always difficult, but safer that way. He knew that there was no one who could have let him down and he didn´t believe that it could change anytime in the future. Until the day he got to know that boy. He was almost of the same age as Jin, with ruffled brown hair, with almost always grinning or pouting lips and cheerful eyes... It was shortly after they moved to Billings, when he had met Tomohisa Yamashita for the first time.

Jin´s dearest father started to earn enough money for him and Leo to attend the local school. It didn´t take long and both brothers became the target for various mocks and sneers as some ´strange stupid immigrants´. But even faster the scoffers learnt that it was not very advisable to mess up with Jin Akanishi.

Jin didn´t care about what they said about him, but he didn´t forgive to anyone who picked up on his younger brother. He got involved in a few furious fights with his classmates, sometimes just because somebody laughed when Leo tripped over the crooked threshold and fell over. He had many problems because of his quick temper with their teacher, but Jin couldn´t care less, if it made their stupid classmates to shut up. And gradually the others started to ignore them completely.

But there was one boy who was standing out. He was constantly disturbing their lessons with his never-ending crazy ideas as a frog on the teacher´s chair, or the tar on the pointer. Other classmates were laughing to these jokes, but at the same time they were laughing at the boy. He was a different kind of outsider than Jin and his brother. He came from a poor family, which was living basically only from what they grew. They had no additional money for anything, so the boy was always coming to school in the same worn out clothes with many holes and with the soil behind his nails. He was the favorite target for the city children, although the boy didn´t seem to mind that as he had never lost his cheerful smile.

It was admirable, but Jin hadn´t actually noticed the boy, until he realized that without any clear reason he was being stalked by him almost everywhere. One day he couldn´t bear it anymore, and lashed out at him after the lessons...

*

_Jin blocked the thin boy´s way out and pushed him back to the classroom, closing the door behind them. The voices of their classmates were slowly dying down, their teacher´s one first, as he surely rushed to his mistress. They remained alone in the empty classroom._

_Jin was piercing the slightly smaller boy with dangerous look, but the other one didn´t seem scared at all._

_“You!” Jin snapped out. “What is your problem?”_

_The boy bulged eyes at him surprised._

_“I have no problem,” he said. “Well, not with you, I have tons of other problems, but...”_

_But Jin didn´t intend to let him blabber nonsenses: “Why do you keep following me then?!”_

_Then the boy stretched his lips in the honest smile: “Because I like you.”_

_Jin was just able to stare at the smaller one dumbfounded. That guy was just weird…_

*

That was what Jin simply assumed and didn´t bother with him anymore. Until they both ended up punished for something they didn´t do. Until Jin found out that the boy´s younger sister was secretly in love with him and that was the first reason for Tomohisa to stalk him. Until they got lost in the woods without any food. And until they were beaten up by the group of cowboys.

Eventually, there was a moment, when Jin was willing to admit that his life was not that bad.

He and Tomohisa, whom Jin renamed to Yamapi quite soon, just because it was easier to say, they didn´t become only friends, they became inseparable. For the first time in his life, Jin had a real friend. And after some time even somebody to whom he could trust.

He also got to know Yamapi´s family, which was so different from his, that he felt more comfortable with them and more like at home, than in the house, which was owned by his own family.

The years passed and they turned into a little careless, but also quite serious and hard-working young men. Jin used to help Yamashita family on their fields, wanting nothing for that, but he never left without something to eat or drink. He kept going there despite his father´s disagreement and a lot of arguments with him.

But apart from work, they had a lot of fun too. They used to ride in the forest, hunt, practice shooting and fights. They also liked girls and they went through a lot of first experiences together.

And then... Then came a moment, when Jin had realized he was wrong thinking that his life was not that bad. He should have known that something bad was going to happen again...

Still working for Raynold Karnaka, his father turned into a completely different and strange person, when Jin and Leo lost their mother. Jin was not at home, when that terrible accident happened, but Leo was. His younger brother, only fifteen years old that time, saw on his very eyes, as their drunken father beat the poor woman and then pushed her so roughly that she couldn´t keep on her feet. And her head was no match for their kitchen table made from the old oak…

The scene, which Jin had found, when he got home that day, was burnt into his memory. His mother´s body lying on the wooden flooring, the head bent in the scary angle, the pool of dark red blood under it. Leo was kneeling next to her crying quietly. And that bastard, who called himself their father, sitting on the chair at the table, staring into nothing.

Jin quickly realized what had happened. And if desperate Leo hadn´t stopped him, he would have beaten their old man to death. It was the first time Jin hit his father and also the last time Ben Akanishi raised a hand against his son.

They had never seen their father as drunk as after the funeral. He was crying and begging for their forgiveness, which just made Jin sick. And he switched back into the same ugly asshole the other day, anyway.

When Ben Akanishi finally pointed a gun at his damn head and ended his own misery as well as the torture of Jin and Leo, who couldn´t bear to live with the murderer of their mother, it was a relief for both of them. Only after the old man was buried more than five feet under the ground, Jin was able to let himself feel the grief over the loss of his dear mother.

By that time they had already been long out of school. Education was not exactly the most important thing they needed for their future. Fortunately, both brothers managed to find a job, as they didn´t want to rely on the money, which their father left behind. Especially Jin refused even only touch them, and he persuaded Leo not to use them either.

Suddenly, they were on their own and it was not easy. Yamapi helped them a lot during that period and in the end his family became to be as their own. And that was also why they got involved in the matter of the sale of their property…

Tomohisa´s father passed away not long before Karnaka´s proposal came at their doorstep, in the form of the sheriff from Billings and the letter from Karnaka himself. Yamapi refused. His family was poor, but the fields were their life and none of the remaining family members was willing to leave their home. Yamapi inherited it after his Dad; it was his responsibility, which he took quite seriously and Jin supported him in that fully.

They had no idea that Karnaka would not accept the rejection so easily. That he would not let the chance for the large stocks of kerosene oil to slip away from his long fingers. Maybe if they knew what one of his men found, they could have been prepared somehow for what was approaching...

From time to time, when he was sulking in depressing mood, Jin was really upset at his younger brother, because maybe, maybe only if he had remained in the city that time, they wouldn´t have condemned his best friend so easily. But the problem was Leo.

Not long after their father shot himself, Jin´s brother joined a certain infamous group, which called themselves Black Riders and became uncontrollable. It was the consequence of how strictly he was raised - when he finally had some freedom and he could do whatever he wanted, it ended up quite badly. But Jin knew that partially it was his fault too; he didn´t guard the younger one properly and he let him slip away from the decent life.

After some not so serious issues, Leo got involved in the bank robbery and became a fugitive. Jin couldn´t let it go so easily, so he rode after him and his new companions, intending to persuade him to come back, to return the money and try to remedy for what he had committed.

But as soon as he left Billings, Yamapi was accused from a murder of one whore from the local saloon. It was a set-up trap, when they got him drunk and then dragged to the already dead body. Jin found that out only thanks to another harlot. That girl was his favorite; he enjoyed her company and skills for a few times, but they were more like friends. And she saw what really happened to her colleague, she saw some unknown men, who were probably Karnaka´s subordinates, to strangle her and she knew that Tomohisa didn´t kill the woman. But of course, nobody trusted the word of a harlot, when there was Sheriff himself saying something else.

Jin returned to Billings after the furious argument with Leo, who refused to return and stayed with those crazy thieves instead. And he was already too late. He found his dearest friend hanging on the gallows, his body swinging slowly in the air…

*

_This must be a nightmare..._

_That was what Jin thought, when his tired eyes focused at the horrifying scene in the middle of the wide main street. The big gallows made of dark wood was standing there, at the same place where it was when he had left, at the same place where it had always been, just with one significant difference. There was a slim body hanging down on the thick rope, the material dug into the neck of the dead man._

_Jin saw the execution twice in his life. For the first time, it was when he was only ten years old. His mother was against it, but the father insisted on it to be a part of Jin´s growing up to the right man._

_This was the third time he ever saw somebody formerly alive in that terrifying state, just hanging there in the air like a sheaf of straw, drying out and motionless. So it was not that he was shocked by the view. What froze him on the spot, stopping him from the movement towards the saloon, where he wanted to grab some beer for a drink after the awfully tiring journey back to the town, was that he realized he knew that man._

_Jin didn´t have to see his face, which was bent down in the cruel angle, but his feet led him towards the gallows anyway. He didn´t fully comprehend the situation, even though he saw almost blue face of his dear friend. Not even when he spotted two women, Yamapi´s mother and his younger sister, crying and hugging each other under the gallows._

_It was somebody else who asked, what had happened there._

_It was somebody else, who was yelled at by the young girl..._

_“Why did you have to go after your stupid brother?!”_

_And it was somebody else, who was hugged by the older one..._

_“My poor boy... Do you see what they did to him, Jin? My poor boy...”_

_It was the other Jin, that one who once believed that his life didn´t have to be a long line of bad things. He was the one, who realized, that deep inside he was never that naive, that he always knew everything would be screwed up again..._

*

At first, Jin was not able to accept that shock at all. He almost got himself into the same position in which he had found his dear friend, when he attacked Sheriff Trent. He didn´t believe even for a second that Yamapi was guilty and that harlot only confirmed it to him later.

Then there was another cruel moment. At Yamapi´s funeral, behind the cemetery wall, where his body was supposed to rest in the unconsecrated ground as an outcast unworthy of peaceful afterlife, when Jin saw desperate Mrs. Yamashita crying, in that moment he had realized that his life not only sucked; it was a huge pile of stinking shit because of one man, who he had never saw.

Jin spent a lot of time searching for any available information about Raynold Karnaka. He talked with many people, some of them he needed to get drunk a little; with others it was easy, as they cursed the man with so many expressions that he even didn´t know them till that moment.

Adding all of those stories to his and Yamapi´s one, he came to one surprisingly simple conclusion. When nobody else was able to stand against that heartless old bastard, he would. He swore to his friend´s grave that man would pay for everything he did. Jin swore to avenge and he was willing to do anything necessary to finally make a stop to ruining of innocent people´s lives. He swore to kill Raynold Karnaka no matter what it would take.

Somehow later Jin realized that his focus on revenge, by which he directed his furious anger, helped him to overcome one of the worst periods in his life. Shortly one after another he lost his parents, brother and best friend. There was only one being to which he could trust.

Only Kuro remained for Jin; his faithful horse, which he bought on the market as the last foal not wanted by anyone, because it was ill. But Jin saw the strength in the animal´s eyes, despite it couldn´t move. He took him home and got him out of it. It happened to be the fastest and most clever horse he had ever seen.

He had Kuro and his purpose – he had found revenge. That gave him enough strength and energy for his determination to actually _do_ something with that evil, which everybody else was afraid of. And Jin was prepared to do anything to achieve it...


	25. The slave

**A** fter the first hour Jin thought it was not that bad and he could handle it somehow.

After two hours he had to admit that Grenet was a creep, who definitely knew how to make someone suffer and he was keeping his mind busy with imaginations related to how he would return this ´favour´ back to the deputy.

After another hour Jin was doing his best to keep quiet and not to respond on any of that bastard´s questions.

Sometimes between that he even doubted if his revenge for Yamapi was really worth of this, for which he was blaming himself right away.

And in the middle of the night, or maybe it was in the morning, he wasn´t sure, because he was not exactly able to think properly, Jin wanted to die.

Pain. Darkness. Burning light. Coldness. Another pain. And ruefully short darkness again.

He was craving for the arms of that comforting dark, because he didn´t have to listen to the Devil´s laughing in there. But it was a luxury, which was not allowed to him.

No sleep, no rest; just many faces of pain.

Somehow like that Jin imagined the Hell.

***

 

The yew-tree wood was one of the hardest in the world. And despite it was very complicated and expensive to acquire this material in the local area; the huge gate in front of Kame´s eyes was made exactly from this wood. It was the only visible entrance to the gardens, which were surrounding the white residence. Otherwise there was an approximately four-meter-tall wooden wall around the whole property. Karnaka made sure that it would be very difficult for any intruder to overcome it. But Kame believed that it was not impossible.

With the each meter, which passed under Ukushi´s feet, he had to try again and again to focus on the reasons, which brought him to this place and not to other things, as to who the owner of that mansion was. Kame had to stay calm and concentrated. In case that he would let the emotions influence his behavior, he wouldn´t have been able to stop himself from doing something very stupid and that wouldn´t have helped Jin at all...

Now he was almost completely sure, that the young gunslinger was captured at that awfully rich farm. After Kuro had appeared in Bozeman all by himself, Kame went to the saloon to check up on the situation. Harada told him that he hadn´t seen Akanishi since the morning, when he had left with the group of Grenet´s men. The deputy himself didn´t appear either, while the most of his capers were in the taproom, throwing one tankard after another into their throats. But that didn´t mean anything and worried Kame had no solid base for his suspicion till the next morning.

It was in Franko´s Store, where he overheard the young guy, Danny McFly, who had started to work for the deputy only recently, blabbering something about the crazy horse, which was possessed by the Devil. And right after that he was scolded by another one of the Grenet´s subordinates, who hissed at him to shut up.

Kame still didn´t know what exactly happened with Jin, but he just felt he had to do something and quickly. Even though he couldn´t explain it, not even to his mother...

*

_“So... You believe that your friend is being held at Karnaka´s farm against his will?”_

_A quiet voice of his mother raised the question a little doubtfully, but she just wanted to make sure she understood what her son was saying, not to doubt him._

_Kame nodded slowly._

_“And you want to help him to get out...” Rosie continued._

_“Yes.”_

_“Why? Why do you want to go against that man because of him, Kazuya?” the next question was very serious and revealed how much worries he awoke in the woman._

_“He is my friend, Mother. I cannot let him in the lurch.”_

_“No,” Rosie shook her head vigorously. “It´s not just that. You don´t know each other for such a long time, do you?”_

_Kame pressed his lips together, and avoided her sharp look._

_“What exactly does he mean to you, Kazuya?” his mother asked after a few seconds of silence._

_There was something in the mother´s voice, what made Kame to look at her again._

_“I just cannot let it go, Mum... He is the only one, who is willing to go against Karnaka. The only one,” he emphasized. “I want to help him. I will go there and you cannot change my decision.”_

_Rosie was just looking at her son for a while, with huge anxiety in her features, but she was also somehow sad._

_“What if they catch you?” she almost whispered then._

_Kame was relieved that she didn´t comment the fact he avoided responding on her question. He was not prepared to discuss what he felt towards the older guy._

_“They won´t,” he stated firmly. “Believe me, Mother.”_

_She wanted to say something more, she wanted to force him to stay, Kame could see it on her face, but she didn´t. She only sighed deeply in defeat, before speaking again._

_“All right, but only under the two conditions... Promise me, you´ll be careful...”_

_Kame reached across the kitchen table and grabbed her hands into his gently._

_“I promise,” he assured his mother firmly._

_Rosie´s face brightened up a little with a weak smile, when she informed Kame about the second condition: “And also that you will introduce that Jin of yours to me properly. I want to know what kind of person captured the heart of my son.”_

*

Sometimes, Kame was almost shocked about how well his mother knew him and what she was able to see despite he didn´t say it. Her second condition was still echoing in his mind, as he realized only now that she wanted to comfort him with it. His mother believed this situation would end up well...

So Rosie Kamenashi was the only person in the whole city, who knew the truth. For everybody else, who would have asked, her son wasn´t feeling well and he was lying in bed.

Kame knew that this excuse would not hold on for long and he needed to act fast. So he faked a little scene in the saloon about being horribly sick, even though he felt guilty, when Harada sent him home to rest, and he disappeared from Bozeman right after lunch.

With each passed hour he was more and more worried and he couldn´t help but hurry more than it was probably necessary. Despite that very complicated mission was awaiting him and he should have prepared for it more carefully; he was being pushed by some indescribable feeling to rush.

In the late afternoon, he was there, in front of the strong gate, the two suspicious glances piercing him through. Kame stopped Ukushi, when both guards raised their rifles against him threateningly.

“What do you want here?!” one of them yelled quite hostile.

“I just want to talk with your boss,” Kame responded calmly.

Both men stared at him first, and then laughed scornfully.

“And who you might be, that you think he will want to talk _with you_ , baby boy?”

Kame grabbed the bridle more tightly hearing that stupid nickname. His stomach shrank a little realizing fully that Grenet was probably present in the mansion as well.

“My name is Kamenashi. Just tell him that, I´m quite sure that he will accept my visit.”

The guards looked at each other first, before returning their attention to him.

“Fine, but do not come crying to us then. Get down, now,” the order came.

Kame obeyed and dismounted Ukushi slowly. One of the men held him at the gunpoint, while the other one came to him.

“Hands up,” he hissed.

It was not a pleasant check, but Kame just clenched his teeth and let the man to take the revolver from him.

“Clear,” he stated after that.

“All right, I´ll go then. I´m looking forward to kick your ass out from here,” the other guard informed Kame with an awful smile.

***

 

Something creaked.

That sound reached Jin´s mind through the thick mist, which was surrounding him as some heavy blanket. He was exhausted, but they didn´t let him sleep even for a minute during the past night. There was always somebody to poke into him, or to hit him waking his poor brain up again, when he started to fall into the black unconsciousness. Which happened a few times despite he was forced to be in the position, which was absolutely not convenient for any sleep at all.

Somehow Jin realized that his exhaustion was the cause of that strange mist. He had absolutely no idea what time it was, or for how long he had been Grenet´s favourite toy...

_But that sound of creaking... What was that?_

Almost immediately he regretted that he even started to think about it. The blanket disappeared quickly and freed up the space for pain. Suddenly his whole body was burning in flames and no matter how hard Jin tried, he couldn´t escape them. There was something stuck in his nostrils, what didn´t let him breathe properly, as well as the odd weight in his chest.

There was a short creak again.

_Ah, right, it is the barn´s door._

That sound meant next and in a way new pain.

_Shit..._

Jin tried to open his eyes, but it was like his eyelids were made from lead. He managed to do it only after he got a cold slap all across his face. Snorting and sputtering he realized it was the bucket of cold water. He had already met with that tinny friend more times than he could even remember.

His eyelids got up, the vision got clearer, but it was still blurry. His arms also reminded themselves to him - by unpleasant pins and needles before they got completely silent again, as if they were not even there.

Jin remembered that he was tied up with a strong rope to one of the beams, which hold the roof above his head, with the shoulders twisted in the most uncomfortable way he could ever imagine. It was stretching his body so high, that he was touching the dirty floor only with the fingertips of his bare feet.

“Good afternoon, greenhorn,” he heard.

Jin was still able to assign the voice to the figure in front of him immediately, despite his bad condition. He wanted to say something not exactly polite, but there was a strange taste in his mouth, which almost made him to vomit instead.

It was the blood; his own blood. He coughed some of it out and his whole body shook.

He felt cold... No wonder, when he was almost naked in some smelly barn with the holes in all walls. But at the same time he felt the hot burning in his stomach and on some parts of his skin, which was not lessened by the cold air even a little.

“You´re very uncooperative, Akanishi,” Math Grenet stated.

Jin smelled the smoke of his usual cigarette in the air and noticed a small hint of anger and discontent in his voice. That was good; he didn´t want to do anything to make that fucker happy.

“So, I think we should try something new... To proceed on the next level, what do you say?”

Jin was looking at his tormentor from under his swollen eyelids, trying to remember, what Grenet and his capers already did to him, so that he would know what to expect.

Grenet was quite creative in this field; beating him up, burning his skin with the cigarettes first, then with the metal rod, drowning his head in the ugly bucket, beating him again almost to unconsciousness, tearing his nails out one after another, cutting into the parts of his skin, which were not burnt yet... The last thing Jin remembered was Grenet´s fist breaking his nose... That was probably why he couldn´t breathe and why his mouth was full of blood.

_So, what is left? Breaking the bones? Cutting off fingers? Just great..._

Jin was talking to himself in his mind in this cynical manner, because it was the only way he was able to hold on, and not to fall apart into pieces.

He tried to speak again, but his throat was parched as the prairie after the very hot season. He stuck out his tongue carefully and tried to lick his totally dry lips, but it didn´t help much. Did they let him drink at all?

 _Oh, yes, that female slave was here, the one with the basket..._ a memory appeared in his blurry mind. She was ordered to give him a few gulps of water. Not that Grenet cared about his health, he just didn´t need him to die, not yet. He needed information, but Jin didn´t plan to give him any...

Remembering the slave, Jin had remembered also something else. Who knew, if she did what he asked her for yesterday, when he was still able to think... They were alone just for a second in the barn and he used it in the moment, when the speaking wasn´t such a problem yet. He could only hope in her gratitude, when he had helped her before. It was a risk; she might have betrayed him, but there was absolutely nothing else he could do to warn Kame...

“Thirsty?” Grenet asked mockingly. “First you have to deserve drinking, greenhorn.”

Jin didn´t let the man, who had already caused him so much pain, out of his sight and didn´t react. The deputy came a little closer and breathed the smoke out right into his face. It also smelt like a lot of whiskey; Grenet was obviously tipsy.

“You know, I was thinking, while my boys kept you company this morning.”

Jin was quite surprised that man was even able of such a difficult thing as the thinking was.

“I remembered that hunting of yours; that bear you came to show off with,” Grenet kept talking and moved out of Jin´s sight, walking around him. “I know the local woods and I´m quite sure, that you found that animal on the redskins’ territory. It is the most probable option, at least. And it´s very interesting, that you had no problems with them because of it.”

That bastard´s voice was right next to Jin´s ear now. He felt him behind like the helpless victim feels a predator sniffing around.

“And there´s other thing too – I think that somebody helped you with the hunt. You´re a good shooter, but you are not _that_ good,” Grenet hissed, moved again and returned in front of Jin, the cigarette almost done.

Jin didn´t avoid his look, but still didn´t say anything.

“My boss thinks that you might have an accomplice in the city and now I think the same. So... I was wondering...”

Grenet doused the cigarette butt on Jin´s chest without any warning. The tormented guy hissed out in pain, which made his thinking a little clearer again.

“Who would be that stupid to help you out with revenge against Raynold Karnaka?” Grenet lit up the next smelly thing and then pierced Jin with his eyes. “Bozeman is not that big and there are not many people causing unnecessary troubles, you know…”

Jin had a bad feeling from this monologue from the very start and with the next statement his suspicion was confirmed.

“It seems to me that only one little shit fits for your _friend_ \- our baby boy Kamenashi.”

Jin shook from head to toes hearing that bastard saying Kame´s name. Grenet was watching him very closely for a while.

“He could also negotiate with those cocky Indians for you in that case. He fucking loves them or what,” the deputy continued.

Jin kept his lips closed firmly, trying not to reveal his worries. Grenet coated of the cigarette in a long inhalation.

“Well, it doesn´t matter if you admit it or not,” he said. “This Kame-boy gets on my nerves for a while anyway. So when you are so stubborn, I will try it with him. He may be more talkative than you. Especially after our last little conversation we had...” Grenet laughed shortly, as if he remembered something. “Fucking his pretty ass may help out, too. You can watch, greenhorn, it will be fun. Last time we were interrupted, unfortunately,” Jin´s tormentor finished the shocking talk with a false regret.

_So that was it... That was why... Kazuya... He was so shaken..._

Just the idea of that disgusting bastard touching Kame in a way he had just mentioned, made Jin almost forget about pain. He was completely conscious now. The burning anger and hate to Grenet was so strong, that for a moment he felt like he was able to rip off the rope, which was holding him, and strangle that piece of shit to death by his bare hands.

 “You... Are... Disgusting...” Jin made the words come out, despite his throat was still aching from all the screaming.

The deputy laughed again: “Ah, don´t say...”

“Keep your... stupid ideas... for yourself...” it was difficult to keep talking, but his anger gave Jin the strength. He had to at least try to distract Grenet out of this lead. “I´ve already... told you... I was... alone.”

“Really? So far you haven´t said a thing, shithead,” Grenet reacted smirking.

“If you want to... humiliate someone... I´m right... here, you fucking... coward,” Jin´s jaw hurt at each word, but he still said them clearly. “Kamenashi has nothing... to do with this.”

“Sorry, but you´re not my type,” Grenet grinned awfully. “But... You´re pretty talkative all of the sudden. So... You say you were alone?”

“Yes... You idiot...”

“No help from anyone?” the smoking man continued asking.

It was already over the edge for Jin and he couldn´t prevent his anger from coming out.

“Go fuck yourself.”

Suddenly the deputy smiled widely: “You don´t have to care then. You stay here in your awesome dormitory and I will go to have some fun with Kamenashi... Just to make sure you´re not lying, you understand that, right?”

Jin´s breath squeezed in his lungs and instead of anger, the horrible fear gripped his heart into tight pinch.

_Oh no... I just did exactly what Grenet expected. By denying his assumptions, I confirmed them._

“Son of a bitch,” he hissed out desperately. “You´ll burn... in Hell...”

Grenet approached Jin again, flooding his face with that awful smell.

“Not before you, greenhorn...”

A hard hit into the already aching stomach stole Jin from any breath he could use for the response...

***

 

Kame was waiting in front of the closed door nervously. He was inside the white mansion, alone, Ukushi was left outside at the side of the house. It didn´t take too long and he was led there, by the strange servant, who came for him once the annoyed guards let him enter the grounds. That man told him to wait and disappeared behind the door, which probably led into the room, where the lord of the mansion was.

Kame looked through the whole property very carefully, when they led him from the gate to the front entrance, but except a few black slaves and more guards then it was really necessary, he saw nothing suspicious. There was no sign of Jin, but there were many places where they could hide him - in the cellar, the barn or the stalls... But it was unlikely Kame would have any chance to search them.

The door opened again and the servant invited him in. Kame took a deep breath and on not completely steady feet he entered the huge workroom. As he had expected, there was an old man sitting in the comfortable armchair, watching his arrival with the cold eyes.

Kame approached closer very slowly and remained standing two meters from the old man. He had already seen Raynold Karnaka once, in Bozeman, but there was still that tense feeling inside of him, knowing that he was the man responsible for the deaths of his father and brothers. And now he also knew that Karnaka was responsible for destroying Jin´s life...

“What an unexpected visitor,” Karnaka stated on an almost amused tone.

Kame was not able to respond right away. It felt as if he went mute. He felt his hands shaking a little, the head spinning. This man, exactly this man and everything what he did... What was he? A reincarnation of the Devil himself?

The eyes of the man in front of him got even colder, when he didn´t receive any reply from his side and then he spoke again.

“Kazuya Kamenashi, right?”

Kame finally reminded himself in what a dangerous situation both he and also Jin were and that he came to the farm to do something about it.

“Yes, sir,” he nodded; even though his stomach was making somersaults from disgust, he was determined to remain awfully polite.

“Why did you come to me, boy?”

_Boy..._

Kame was almost sure he would vomit right at the expensive carpet. The men like Karnaka and Grenet were always able to make him feel like that…

“I have a request, sir.”

“You have a request on _me_?” Karnaka raised his eyebrows.

“Yes. I would like to ask you, if there is anything I can do to improve the current relations between you and my family.”

“What exactly do you mean, Kamenashi?” Karnaka seemed interested.

“Just recently, your subordinate, Math Grenet, reminded me very clearly, that I and my mother are under an obligation to you... And I assure you we respect that. We don´t want to cause you any problems, sir.”

“I´m glad to hear that directly from you,” Karnaka responded with a strange shining in his eyes.

“Thank you, sir. But... I´m sure you are well aware of that there is a problem, which Math Grenet has with myself.”

Karnaka kept his look on Kame, which didn´t let him move even by inch.

“I was informed, of course,” the man said, his voice very serious.

Kame took a little shaky breath again.

“I know I made a mistake, sir. I will be more careful about my behaviour from now on... But, would it be possible for you to talk with Grenet? I cannot help but say that he picked up on me, and I am able to handle it, but it influences my mother too. She is sick, sir, and I just want her to be at peace, if you understand.”

Karnaka didn´t say anything. Kame was trying hard to keep up his calmness and not to give in to the fear which had started to grow in his stomach. At the moment he felt exactly as he wanted to affect the people around – naive.

“If there is anything by which I can persuade you, that we mean to make no problems and what would, pardon me, get Grenet out of my back, just tell me. Anything.”

“Anything, you say?” Karnaka repeated.

“Yes, sir. My mother is my only family; I would do anything for her. We just want to live our lives...”

It took three long seconds before the old man reacted on Kame´s statement.

“Let´s say that I know Math is somehow hot-headed... And let´s say I believe you, boy... So... If I make sure that you will not have any other problems with him, and your mother will be completely out of harm, would you be willing to work for me?”

Kame´s eyes widened in shock. He expected being thrown out, even beaten up, but definitely not being offered a job...

“Well, that´s kind of unexpected offer, sir...” he replied carefully.

“I understand. But I´ve heard you have quite good relations with the local Indians. And I have to say that I would use a negotiator between me and them quite well.”

Kame felt hot and cold at the same time. This was unreal. Karnaka offering him a job like this? If he would be in this position, it could profit the Blackfeet Tribe too. He would have been able to help them; he could have stopped that pointless killing... But then he forced himself to stop the crazy flow of own thoughts.

_No. No, I must not believe these words._

It would have been stupid to think that Karnaka was willing to negotiate with Indians; that he wanted to be at peace with them. He was just trying to figure out how Kame would react. Now he realized fully, how dangerous man Karnaka was.

“Thank you for your generous offer, Mr. Karnaka,” Kame said, when he was sure about his voice again. “Can I ask for some time to think? I already have a job at Harada´s Saloon and so...”

“All right,” Karnaka nodded surprisingly willingly. “But... Don´t think too long, boy...” he added on a voice, which brought the ice cold creeps on Kame´s back.

*

“What do you think, Cam?” Raynold raised the question to his loyal subordinate, after he came back to the workroom.

The servant took his time with the response: “I have to say, I´m not completely sure, sir. His attitude and reasons are understandable. And it was a good idea to offer him a job. We will see if he is serious or not. But...”

“But something is not right...” Karnaka finished the sentence.

“Yes, sir,” Cameron agreed. “Why did he come only now?”

“Well, I´m sure we will find out soon... Strengthen the guards for the night, just in case.”

“Of course,” the man nodded his head obediently.

*

Kame left the residence in a quite distracted state.

The conversation between him and Karnaka didn´t went in a way he had imagined. If that man was telling the truth, it was opening the way for his mother to live peacefully, for him without fear from Grenet and maybe even the peace for the Blackfeet Tribe too. But only in case the powerful rancher had been telling the truth...

Kame had a strong feeling he just couldn´t trust Karnaka in anything. It was not thinkable that he would have started working for him; he was not that strong as Jin, he just couldn´t act that much. His knees were still shaking and his palms hurt from how much he was clenching his fists. He would not have been able to do something like that

Kame looked around after he went down the veranda. There were some guards nearby, but they didn´t pay him much attention, as he was accompanied by Karnaka´s servant to the door and there were no orders for anyone to escort him out. But he couldn´t afford to act suspiciously, so he just headed to the place where he had left Ukushi, keeping searching the surroundings with his eyes. Shaking down the cold feeling from the meeting with Karnaka, he felt the worries for Jin again.

He wanted to get to Karnaka´s farm from one main reason. Not to talk about the amnesty for him and his mother, as he didn´t really think anything like that was possible, but to see the lands and try to figure out how to get there unseen, so that he could search for Jin...

Kame took the corner and he could already see patiently waiting Ukushi, when the barn in the back part of the gardens caught his attention again. There were two men with rifles in front of it. He didn´t look at it properly before, but now, when he saw the building again, how old it was and that it was unlikely they would have hold something precious there, but those guards were still there...

What could they possibly guard there? He also noticed that there was a small back gate approximately one hundred meters away from it. So there was not only one way in...

Kame reached Ukushi and started to untie her, thinking hard. According to what he had seen so far, it was the most probable place for them to... His hands stopped in the middle of movement, when his ears caught a faint sound of screaming.

Kazuya looked in the direction of that barn again, and noticed how the guards glanced at each other, shaking their heads and saying something.

The screaming of pain was heard again, from a young man´s throat... Kame felt chills on his back and his throat closed tightly.

_Jin..._

He was frozen at the spot. That sound was far away, but it pierced his heart with throbbing pain anyway. It took Kame a while before he noticed someone was watching him. It was a young black slave with her eyes wide standing behind the wall, which was covering some compost or something like that. The guards from the barn couldn´t see her like this, but she was close enough to Kame. And there was something, what attracted Kame´s attention, even though he was distracted by the screaming. She looked like she wanted to say something, but she was hesitating.

He checked his back quickly, but so far there were no other guards looking for him. Only the guards at the barn had a clear view at him, so he pretended to tighten up the saddle.

“You don´t have to be afraid of me,” Kame said looking at the woman.

The black slave breathed in quickly and her eyelashes shook a few times. Kame thought that she would run away, but she spoke in the end.

“Are you Kamenashi?” she asked whispering.

That surprised him.

“Yes, I am... How do you know?”

“I heard guards...” the woman replied, her eyes flying from one side to another, like she was afraid that somebody would appear and beat her up.

“What´s your name then?” Kame asked, trying to calm her down a little.

The slave´s eyes went even wider; she was completely shocked by the question.

“I... I am Ella.”

“That´s a nice name,“ Kame said, smiled at her and checked the guarding men again. They didn´t seem to notice anything yet. “Do you want to tell me something, Ella?”

The woman seemed more certain by now.

“Yes...” she nodded quickly. “I have a message for you...”

Kame jerked with his head back to her and almost forgot to keep his voice quiet.

“From whom?”

“There´s a man captured,” she responded.

“Jin?” Kame blurted out immediately. “Jin Akanishi?”

The slave nodded a few times, but she seemed scared again, seeing Kame´s fierce reaction. There was no time for fear now. The guards would definitely come to check what took him so long.

Kame untied Ukushi´s bridle and led her closer to the woman.

“What did he say? Tell me, quickly!” he asked her urgently.

But it looked that the woman would back off from her original intention, shaking her head vigorously.

“If they find out...”

“Please, Ella, he is my friend. What did he say?” Kame repeated, already desperate.

“He said: _Don´t come for me_ ,” she responded finally.

Kame froze up once again, flooded with pity.

_Oh, Jin... Jin, what are you thinking?_

“Ella, where is he?”

“I can´t... I can´t...” the slave blabbered frightened.

“Kamenashi! Where are you?!” a loud call came from behind the building. The guards had noticed something was strange, so they had no time left and Kame decided to put everything at one bet.

“Ella. I will come for him, tonight. You can go with us, if you want.”

The woman seemed like to be struck with the lightning.

“Please, I´m begging you...” Kame didn´t know what overcame the fear in the slave, but there was probably something what persuaded her.

“The barn,” she confirmed Kame´s suspicion.

“Thank you... Can you make any distraction? At the midnight?”

She took a deep breath in and didn´t said anything.

“We will take you with us, I have friends, you don´t have to stay here!” Kame insisted. “Midnight, Ella, go to the back gate then.”

Kame turned away from the woman just in time, when the guard came out behind the corner.

“What the hell are you doing here? Take that nag of yours and get out!”

It was one of the most difficult things in his life, to leave that faint screaming and scared slave behind his back and leave Karnaka´s residence. But he had to do it. Hearing the other´s pain was tearing Kame´s heart into pieces, but there was no way he could save Jin right away.

Kame rode off the gate very fast, without looking back. There was already a plan in his head, but it depended on that slave, if she would help or not. In either case, he would try to rescue Jin on that very night. He felt that he couldn´t leave him there any longer.

He didn´t even have to order Ukushi and she sped up herself. On the road and then towards the woods where he had left Kuro hidden well.

 

***

 

Ned Roper was one-third African American, or rather said, following the local manners, from one third Negro, and he had been working for Mr. Karnaka more than ten years. Thanks to his origin he could have never achieved any higher position than a mere guard, but even in this job he had seen and done many terrible things for which his mother would have not been really proud of him. Sometimes he even thought about quitting and returning to his family in the east, but those were only imaginations. He was still staying here, at that rich farm. It was a well-paid job, anyway.

Remembering all those killed men and tortured slaves, what Grenet was doing with that youngster was even more awful. The deputy hadn´t done anything what would have threatened Akanishi´s life seriously, but all those hits and cuts had to have hurt like hell. And there was something about it what made Ned sick - the young prisoner didn´t say a thing and Math Grenet seemed to be almost happy about it. He enjoyed torturing that poor boy more than Ned thought was even possible.

Well, that was before he got a little upset because he was not able to get any useful information out of that guy. And when Ned spotted Grenet going there again, with the bottle of cheap whiskey in his hand, he was glad he didn´t have to watch that horrific performance this time. He had already seen more than enough…

Ned was guarding the mansion´s entrance then and watched that young boy with his very pretty mare leaving through the front gate. His colleague was shouting out some stupid insults before, but he had absolutely no sense for horses. Ned wondered where the guy might have got a horse like this.

Young Kamenashi was really an unexpected visit. Ned knew about the history with his family and he had to admit that the boy had guts...

Not long after he disappeared from his view, Grenet appeared in front of the house, coming back from the barn. As he came closer, Ned noticed that his face was covered with the bloody splatters and he also kept drinking on the way. Well, not the best time to interrupt him, but Ned knew what his job was.

“Boss?” he spoke, when the second highest person in charge on the property stomped up the stairs.

“What?!” Grenet snapped at him. There was a dangerous shining in his eyes, and despite that he seemed strangely satisfied, Ned had to try hard not to step away from the man.

“I think you should know about this... Mr. Karnaka just had a visitor. That young boy Kamenashi was here.”

Math was standing there staring at Ned for a while, before his narrow lips curved in the ugly smile.

“Don´t say... What did he want?”

“I don´t know, boss,” Ned admitted carefully.

“Never mind, it doesn´t really matter. So he decided to pay a visit here just now...” Grenet laughed and took a gulp from the bottle again. “I so knew I was right...”

“Should we go after him, boss? He left only a few minutes ago.”

“No, I will find that little fucker myself. But I want you to get something for me. It seems that our greenhorn still hasn´t got enough.”

“Of course, boss. What is it?” Ned asked, but he didn´t like the expression on Grenet´s face, which told him, it would not be anything nice...


	26. No more pain

**N** ot only breaking the bones and cutting off of the fingers were missing on Jin´s imaginary list of tortures. He forgot to include the whipping. But Grenet made sure to remind him about that.

It was sometimes after the fifth burning hit, which sent the blinding light into his head, when Jin had realized that fucker didn´t do it because of any questions-answers game anymore; Grenet just enjoyed causing him the pain.

Jin´s body jerked each time it was hit with the short whip divided into three straps, which were like three snakes biting into his skin. And with each hit of another tool of torture, which had only one end, but it was longer, more of his blood was spilled over the floor.

Jin had no strength or will left to act as a hero. He screamed and moaned and tried to scream again, but his throat was too dry for it. He just desired to do one last thing, before Grenet would have enough of him and kill him. He just wished he could prevent the deputy from doing the same or worse to Kame. He would have given anything for it; Jin would have died peacefully, if he knew that Kame was safe. But he just couldn´t, he was absolutely powerless.

That knowledge kept Jin conscious and desperate. Despite all his suffering, all that pain and blood and humiliation, there was still something more important - Kazuya.

Kazuya. Kazuya.

_Kazuya..._

If his lips were not so dry and broken, Jin would have said that beautiful name aloud without even knowing it...

***

 

Kame shivered from the cold, which he didn´t feel only on his skin, but also in his heart.

The night was partly clear, partly cloudy. The moon was showing itself almost exactly in his half and sometimes it sent its pale light at the fields around Karnaka´s residence.

Kazuya was observing the progress of the dark shadows carefully. According to the moon´s position, it was almost midnight and there was no sign of any fuss behind the wall. He was hiding under the huge water barrel, which was standing on the short pillars at the edge of field, which was the closest possible to the back gate. He was waiting there more and more impatiently. He was still hoping for Ella to have some pride and courage left. If she did as he had asked her for, it would help a lot.

There were many guards behind the wall, more than he could avoid safely, if he wanted to come across it. But Kame knew he would try it anyway. Despite his plan was deadly dangerous, there was that painful urge, which didn´t let him to act more patiently.

_Jin... Hold on... Please, hold on just for a moment yet..._

*

 

After half an hour, which was awfully long for Kame, he decided it was enough of waiting. According to the calls, which were heard somewhere behind the wall, it seemed that they were just making the regular change of guards. If he didn´t use this opportunity, it would be the same as he did nothing at all.

Kame´s slim figure completely dressed in the dark clothes slipped out from the safe shadow. By fast and very easy steps, which wouldn´t have been recognizable even if an enemy stood right in front of the barrel, he reached the wall. He remained motionless for a few seconds, listening to any sounds or voices, which would tell him some guard was behind the wall, under the place he chose for overcoming it. It was far enough from the back gate and at the same time the closest possible side of the guarded property to reach the barn behind it.

Some half-choked laughter was heard from the direction of the gate and Kame´s ears also caught a very distant voice somewhere closer the house. He considered his surroundings safe enough then. He took a few slow breaths to calm his pulse down and released the grip on the rope with the wide loop in the end to make it loose. He made two small steps back, his eyes focused at the top of the wall from the long stakes.

Considering the shape of the wall, Kame was lucky, that Karnaka was so careful about his property. Half-sharp, half-blunt spikes should have served for the easier and better defence of the farm from the inside, but for him it was easier to get in now.

Kame checked the dark peaks on the background of the night sky once again and altered the knot on the rope a little. He wanted to be sure, as he didn´t do ´a practice´ like this for a long time. Then, in one swift move, he threw the rope up. The loop landed at one of the spikes and Kame pulled for it fast, to tighten the rope around it.

He hang on it with all his weight first, to make sure it was caught there securely enough, then he bounced from the ground easily and started to climb up inaudibly, mostly relying on the strength in his shoulders and arms, as his feet were slipping a little on the surface of smooth stakes.  He reminded himself to thank Liwan again, for supporting him in all those Indian trainings he went through...

Kame froze approximately in the middle of the wall, when he overheard the loud alarm calls behind. But the voices were getting further from him, not closer. He overcame the last meter quickly and supporting himself on the spikes he looked over the top cautiously. Then he could see the reason of the awakening fuss. There was a dangerously orange colour of flames in two from all those windows of the main residence.

 _Ella..._ Kame figured out right away. _She set up a fire..._

There was nothing to wait for anymore. The guards from the both gates were running towards the fire, yelling for water. There would be no better option for him to get in and hopefully also out with Jin.

With half of his body already over the wall, Kame pulled the rope up and threw it over to the other side. That was the most difficult part to overcome and his arms were already protesting against something so difficult. He didn´t climb onto anything for quite long, and handing out the beers couldn´t be considered as an exercise for hands at all.

With a heavy exhale, Kame climbed over the wall completely and he let himself go down the rope so fast his palms hurt. He landed in the soft grass, cowered and looked around. It seemed that everybody awake at this hour was running around the house, trying to extinguish the fire.

He forced himself not to rush towards the barn right away, but to head to the unguarded back gate first. It was highly impossible that Jin would be able to get over the wall just as he did, so they had only one option left, as the front gate was too far.

Very quietly, Kame removed two tollgates, but let the gate closed, hoping that nobody would notice a difference in the dark. After that he focused at the dark outline of the barn behind a few fruit trees and with no hesitation he ran across the open space, relying on the dark to cover his movement.

He stopped on the corner of the building as he heard some excited talk from the front. He peeped behind the wall and spotted two men with rifles. They argued about something for a second, before one of them left the spot, running towards the house too.

Good, he could get rid of just one more easily...

Kame waited for a guard to be focused in the opposite direction and then he moved, overcoming the space between them quietly. He grabbed the gunman around the neck and with his thumb he hit the certain spot under his jaw, about which he knew it would make him immobilized.

He caught the man surprised, but despite that he fought against the attack for a while, before his body got loose, the eyes closed, and the rifle fell into the grass.

Kame made the unconscious guard sit leaning over the wall, so that from the distance it looked like he was just tired or fell asleep. When he let him go, Kame noticed that his hands were shaking slightly.

He had never used this move on any living person. It was something what he was taught by the old shaman, just in case for his own protection and it was very dangerous; he could even kill that man. But Karnaka´s subordinate on the ground was still breathing, and Kame knew he would wake up in a few minutes, so there was no space for him to ponder about his actions.

He looked up to the barn´s door and only then he spotted the lock on it.

For a second Kame got totally terrified, that he would not be able to get inside. With a desperate hope he returned his eyes back to the sleeping man and checked his belt. He breathed out in huge relief, when he found the key hanging on it. He grabbed it and jumped to the door. Very carefully, not to create any unnecessary noise, he unlocked them, slipped inside and closed the door again.

The huge dark space was filled with the smell of manure and horses’ spore and alighted by two old lanterns. In all those shadows it took some time before Kame´s eyes accustomed to them and he noticed the tied young man in the back side of the barn, with his head falling down to the chest. The strong rope was holding his arms up in the unnatural position, the dark hair glued in moist strands falling to his face and his skin... Kame blinked, as he couldn´t recognize what he saw at first. The skin was almost nowhere to be seen, so much it was covered by bruises and blood.

Kame stopped breathing for a while, not able to move, not able to tear his eyes off the impoverished guy. He didn´t see Jin for just two days, but during that short time the lively and beautiful man turned into this beaten-up ruin...

“Jin...” the name escaped from his lips in a horrified whisper.

In the next second Kame was in front of the captive, his heart beating heavily. He raised one hand and very gently he touched Jin´s jaw, lifting his head up. The guy´s eyes were closed, if he could say through all those... All those... Kame was flooded by horror and regret seeing Jin´s face in the poor bloody mess. And somewhere inside, deep in his chest, he also felt the burning anger and hate towards those who did this to him.

He kept holding Jin´s head up and reached into the small bag at his side, pulling out the small flask, which he hoped he would not have to use. It was a special potion from the shaman, which he gave him before Kame and his mother left the tribe, and which should be able to suppress the pain for now, but it had side effects...

“Jin... Jin, do you hear me?”

Kame waited nervously for any reaction from the other one. Everything would have gone in vain, if he was in such a bad condition, that he couldn´t even move...

A shaky and short breath came out the badly-hurt lips and then the red eyelids moved. Only a little, but it was enough for Kame to see the dark orbs, lost in the mist, trying to focus.

“Jin, it´s me... I will get you out of here,” Kame spoke again, trying hard not to let his voice shake.

“Ka...zu...”

That sound coming from the broken mouth didn´t match the moody man he knew at all and it shook Kame from head to toes.

“So... I´m...dead...?” there could be heard a strange relief in that weak creaky voice. “Finally...”

“No, you stupid one,” Kame said softly, suppressing the tears in his eyes, and lifted the flask. “Drink this.”

Jin opened his mouth obediently and let Kame get the liquid into it. He coughed on it a little, but gulped it down.

“Good...” Kame praised him gently and hid the empty thing back. “It will be uncomfortable now.”

Instead of the flask, he took the sharp dagger into the hand, and then he raised himself up, cutting the rope holding Jin up. The older guy collapsed on him totally powerless, that he almost made them both fall down. Kame helped him to sit, supporting his back and he cut off the rest of the rope, which was strangling Jin´s wrists together. Kame gulped down heavily, almost choking on pity, discovering the bloody wounds instead of his nails.

“Jin, can you walk?” his voice did shake this time, he just couldn´t prevent it.

Jin´s head was leant over Kame´s shoulder so hopelessly, that he didn´t seem being able to move at all. There was a strange sound from his mouth, half as a desperate crying and half as laughter.

“I can...try...”

Being careful as much as it was possible, Kame grabbed the other one under his shoulders and with a great effort he helped him up to his feet. Jin was leaning on him heavily, but somehow he had some weight on his feet too.

Kame put one of his arms around himself, catching Jin for the hand in the front and hugged him around the waist with the other, trying to ignore the fact, that it definitely hurt Jin, when he touched the open wounds on his body, the wounds from obviously furious whipping...

“Let´s go. We do not have much time...” Kame simply refused to admit that their escape with Jin in this condition would be almost impossible...

After the first difficult step forward, Kame thought that this was just not going to work. Jin was only half-awake, totally beaten up and exhausted. He was relying on Kame´s support more than on his own legs, which were staggering heavily under him. Kame knew he was strong enough to literally drag him out the barn and then to the gate, but it would have taken a lot of time and they didn´t have it.

“Wait...” a hoarse whisper came out together with the heavy exhale and Kame stopped, eying Jin worriedly.

Under the mask of bruises and blood, it was visible, how much Jin was fighting the resistance of his poor body. But he also seemed more at his senses, which was definitely the credit of the medicine Kame gave him. It worked very fast.

“Can we?” Kame asked him quietly after a few seconds, when he felt that tenseness of Jin´s body eased up a little.

Jin´s hand caught on him by his own power, before he raised his head a little.

“Yeah...”

*

Those one hundred and fifty meters to the gate, with the shouting, running and splashing of water across the hungry flames behind their backs, was the longest track of Kame´s life. Seeing Jin in that condition horrified him and made him sure that they wouldn´t survive this, if they get caught. He hardly realized that he was not so afraid for his own life as for Jin´s. He just would not let him suffer anymore...

Jin was moving forward together with Kame, but it was painfully clear that if there was no help for him soon, he might not get through this. Kame´s heart was jumping up his throat, the pulse vibrating in his veins and he was trying to keep at least his breathing on some calm pace.

There were only five steps left, four, three... Jin staggered over something and almost pulled them both to the ground. Then Kame pushed into the gate´s wing roughly to make it open. That they got there unnoticed, Kame considered more like a miracle that them being inconspicuous. He was incredibly grateful to the slave, who was able to distract the attention from the prisoner so well, but he didn´t think about her anymore. There was somebody more important at the moment...

“Hey! Stop right there!”

Kame turned his head so fast that his neck hurt. The shouting didn´t belong to them though. There was a slim figure of the young woman running away from the mansion, and behind her, two or maybe three chasers shouting their threats. It was Ella. She must have been too scared and she was hiding, until it was too late for her to escape unseen. And Kame promised she could go with them...

The young bartender was torn apart by his promise and by the weight on his shoulders. He was responsible for both of them…

“Jin, hold on to me,” he asked the guy, while he was turning back to face the gardens again and let his hand go, but kept holding the older one around the waist. With the other hand he took out the gun from the sheath on his belt and pointed with it at the approaching persons, but he couldn´t aim on the men, because Ella was in the field of fire...

 _Come on, come on... Move a little..._ Kame was sending the hopeless mind signals.

It was almost there, one man was ahead, Kame aimed finally and then... There was a shot suddenly and it wasn´t from Kame´s revolver. The woman´s painful scream cut through the air, the running legs stopped in the half of movement and the slim body collapsed to the grass only twenty meters from them like a puppet without the strings.

Kame stared at the motionless body for one second, during which the time crawled slowly like captured in the mud and during which he was flooded with the guilt.

“I´ve told you to stop, you bitch!” he heard the voice of the man who had fired.

“Hey! Who´s there?!” the other one yelled.

Time to put the regret aside... The gunmen spotted their shadows at the gate.

Kame tore his eyes off the poor woman and not so gently he dragged Jin through the opened gate out. They were close to his previous hideout and it was the only possible solution, which Kame could have figured out now.

“Kazu...ya… I can´t...”

“I know...”

Jin´s body was already over the edge of its possibilities, and he was not fast enough.

Without any thinking Kame changed their position a little, took both of Jin´s arms and pulled him up from the ground on his back. He started to run along the wall as fast as he was only able to. Jin was at least ten kilos heavier than him, but that didn´t matter at the moment. It was the most important to reach the shadow of the place, where the guards would expect them the least of all.

It felt like the bullets would start flying after them in each second, but Kame reached the water barrel with Jin on his back and the excited voices were still behind the wall. All in sweat and out of breath he went down on his knees, letting Jin go slowly.

“Jin, you must help me a little here...”

Hearing his voice, Jin´s hands and knees moved forward jerkily. Kame supported him as much as he could to crawl under the pillars into the deepest shadow and followed him pressing himself to his side. He almost couldn´t see the other one now, the moon was hidden behind the clouds, but he could hear his irregular breathing and he felt his shaking body next to his. Jin wasn´t saying or mumbling anything, but for that moment his breathing was enough.

“Lay still,” Kame whispered and crawled closer to the edge of their shelter, again with the revolver in his hand. He was completely willing to kill without the second thought anyone, who would come to Jin with the intention to hurt him again.

The two guards, who were chasing the poor slave before, just ran out the gate looking around confused. Kame could only see their shadows in the reflections coming through the open gate. And then, a voice started yelling, so loudly that Kame jerked a little. The following loud dialogue came to his ears more than clearly.

“What the hell are you two doing out there?! If you hadn´t noticed, we have a fucking fire in the house!”

“Somebody just ran out, boss!” one of the gunmen outside the walls responded.

“What?! What the hell do you mean? That little bitch is lying right here!”

“It was somebody else, boss! Two of them!”

A short silence followed.

“Crap! Ned!! Check out the barn! Move your ass, or I will kick you there!”

Kame was breathing regularly, trying to calm himself down and waited for the response, which he had expected.

“He is gone!” the surprised call came. “Boss, the prisoner is gone!”

“This is a fucking joke!!” Grenet was obviously very angry. “On the horses! Now! Don´t stare at me and fucking move! They can´t be far!”

“But, boss, the fire...!”

“Screw the fire, I want that shithead! Right now! Alive! Move!”

Two men disappeared back inside, out of Kame´s view. It was clear that they would set off immediately. So they had to wait and hope that nobody would care about the water barrel...

He moved away from the edge, deeper into the shadows, but remained in the position, from which he could see the back entrance. Half lying, he took off his coat and after a few careful groping he found the motionless Jin. He put the cloth over his back, trying to recognize him in the dark, but it was useless. There was too much of black color in their shelter.

“Kazu...”

Kame still couldn´t bear with that voice... He raised his hand again and with the careful fumbling he found Jin´s face in the darkness, touching him so gently that it was more like he was doing it with a feather.

“Yes... I´m here, Jin. We must be quiet now,” he whispered, just to remind him, the other one´s voice was more like the rustle of dry leaves than a sound anyway.

He heard how Jin took a deep breath, before speaking again.

“Why... You came...for me?”

Kame stared at the dark shape of lying body for a while. The moon came out behind the clouds again and let his faint light to improve the view under the barrel.

“You did not think I would have let you there, did you?” he reacted hoarsely.

A strange and very sad smile appeared on the older one´s lips, Kame could see Jin´s features move in the dim light.

“You shouldn´t... You shouldn´t...”

Kame watched that face, hardly recognizable, biting into his lip. His fingers, which were still touching Jin´s face, were shaking lightly.

“I shouldn´t have come so late...” he finished the sentence instead of him. “I´m so sorry, Jin.”

“No... No...” Jin rejected it right away. “I´m...sorry... Kazuya... Sorry for...everything...” his breath squeezed in the lungs.

Kame felt incredibly sad, hearing Jin like this, fighting with pain.

“Damn... It hurts... Kazu...ya... I...”

Kame had to clear his throat first, before he was able to speak: “I will help you, I promise. You will be all right again.”

“It... I just...”

“Don´t speak. Save your strength,” Kame didn´t let Jin continue his desperate attempts. “I promise that soon there will be no more pain. All right?”

Only shaking breathing followed for a minute, and Kame didn´t really expected the response, when it finally came.

“Fine...”

*

Only two minutes later the clatter of many hooves disappeared in the darkness, as well as the light of a few lanterns.  The back gate was closed and heavily guarded. Grenet´s men had the order to search through the whole property again, if there was no other intruder hiding. It seemed that they managed to handle the fire already.

Furious Grenet himself was the leader of the first search group, which scattered alongside the woods in the north; the second one was occupied with the opposite direction. They expected them to flee into the safety of the forest, but Kame was prepared for this and their precious horses were hidden in the gorge closer to the road leading to Bozeman. None of the woken up and quite annoyed men seemed to care for the barrel, which was hiding them.

As soon as there was no sign of any movement outside the walls, they couldn´t wait any longer. It was highly possible, that Grenet would realize they could have hidden themselves somewhere closer to the farm and they had to be in the gorge by that time.

“Jin, we have to move...” Kame touched Jin on the shoulder.

There was only some quiet mumbling as a response. It couldn´t be said that the half-conscious guy was very happy about it, but they had no other choice.

“You must hold on for a little while yet... Only a little...”

*

It was a long and difficult way to the place, where Kame hid both Kuro and Ukushi. It was not so far and under the normal circumstances he would have reached it in less than five minutes, but with Jin being more and more unable to move on his own and his weight relying completely onto Kame, it took them almost half an hour. Kame was awfully tense all the way long, listening to each sound in the darkness, which could mean that they were exposed.

Jin wasn´t hissing in pain anymore, he didn´t even say anything, he just let Kame to lead him forward with his eyes closed. Kame didn´t let himself to worry about all of those wounds, which he saw in the barn. First he had to get them both so far away from there as possible, and then he could treat Jin properly.

Kuro welcomed their staggering figures with a nervous neighing and stomping on the ground. He obviously didn´t like that Kame let him there, doing nothing. The animal kept shaking its head until Kame, who was already completely out of breath, feeling his stressed muscles clutching in cramps, led the beaten-up guy directly to it.

“Hush, already! Do you want them to find us?” he tried to put some senses into the snorting horse.

“Kuro...” a weak whisper made Kame to look at Jin again. “Don´t...worry...” the older one´s voice was so quiet that Kame almost couldn´t recognize the words, but it made the stallion to calm down finally. “I will... I will...be...”

Jin collapsed before he could finish the sentence. Not being for Kame holding him, the guy would have fallen down to the ground completely out of senses. His body just couldn´t bear it anymore and he fainted.

Already very tired Kame had to put him down completely for a minute, letting his head rest in the grass. He needed to figure out how to attach Jin to the saddle to prevent him from falling down and...

He stiffened like a stone, still leaning over the shallowly breathing guy. He felt somebody behind; he felt somebody´s stare at his back. But not even Ukushi warned him before the incomer, so who the hell was that? Only Kuro seemed a little nervous, grubbing in the ground by one of his strong hooves.

Kame took a deep breath and he turned jumping to his feet, the revolver in his hand ready to...

“Whoa! Kame, do not shoot my head off!”

His fingers remained still like a fossil on the weapon, but he breathed out in a huge relief recognizing the voice and also the familiar figure coming out from behind the dry bush, so that a little of moonlight fell on his face.

“Liwan...”

“Put that gun down, friend, you make me nervous...” Indian was looking at the dangerous thing aiming to his chest.

Only then Kame noticed how much his hand was shaking; the gun´s mouth was moving from one side to another like on its own will. His nerves were really already on the edge.

“I´m sorry...” he hid the gun quickly to its place, and faced his Indian friend again. “What are you doing here? How did you find us?”

“I came to check up on you to Bozeman,” Liwan stated in the calming voice, noticing the disconcerted state of Kame. “I was worried after what happened last time... Your mother told me what insanity you went to do, so I rushed here. And my horse felt Ukushi then...”

Kame calmed down during his words, when he made sure there was really nobody else but his friend.

“I suppose that is Akanishi,” Liwan looked at the lying body, trying to see through the darkness.

“Yes...” Kame´s voice was still a little shaky when he responded, so he rather didn´t add anything else. Not much from Jin was visible now, but he knew that the wounds were there and they could not be forgotten.

“So you did it... Incredible,” Liwan snorted a little in disbelief. “Your mother is shaking with fear for you, and you go right into the nest of snake to save this man! Do you realize how bad this could end? You could be killed!”

“But I was not!” Kame snapped at the Indian. He felt Liwan´s eyes observing him worriedly, so he pressed his lips together to keep other angry comments for himself. There was really no space for any arguments now. “You can judge me later, Liwan,” he said much more quietly. “He needs help.”

Indian´s expression changed after hearing Kame being so worried.

“I figured that out,” he stated. “How bad is he?”

“Very... Will you help me to get him to safety, please?”

“Why do you think I came here?” Indian replied sardonically.

“To stop me from going there for him,” Kame reacted immediately.

Liwan raised both his hands into the air in defeat.

“All right, you win. No arguments for now...”

“Thank you...”

“Where do you want to hide him? They search for him, right?”

“Yes, they do...” Kame confirmed gloomily and went down to his knees, reaching his hands towards motionless Jin again, so that he could close the coat on him properly. “We will take him to my old home...”


	27. Power of emotions

**A** young stallion felt the anger of his rider in the stabbing of the spurs in his flanks. The repeated pain was making him to run faster and faster, forcing him to go over the edge of his strong muscles´ power. The horse was giving out its best, its vision already blurred from sweat and its blood rushing by amazing speed, flowing through the crazily beating heart.

But still it was not enough; the rider kept kicking him, not caring about the animal´s exhaustion. Until the bridle bit into its muzzle, almost reversing the horse´s head backwards, and stopped it on the spot, so violently that the clusters of grass along with some soil ended up torn off their places.

Math Grenet jumped off the animal, letting it staggering near the veranda and burst into the house. Two black slaves, just taking the mess after the fire out, spotted him in the last second and fled out of his way, pressing themselves to the walls of the corridor.

Stomping Grenet rushed inside the workroom alight by the weak morning sun. Raynold Karnaka was already sitting behind his table from the oak wood, smoking the expensive cigar and drinking a glass of his favorite Scotch whiskey, which was just served by his servant.

“Those bastards got away!!” Grenet exclaimed, as soon as he finished his furious race by hitting the firm wood of the table with his fist.

The master of the white mansion didn´t seem to be disturbed at all and finished his drink calmly, while Cameron observed the rude gunman with obvious disgust in his eyes.

“I know it was Kamenashi!” Grenet blustered in front of them. “Why else would he have come here now?! He helped Akanishi to escape! Just let me go to Bozeman and I will tear them both to shreds!”

“Silence.”

It was only one word, said no louder than usually, but a tone of Karnaka´s voice made Grenet to stiffen and shut his mouth. The old man put the empty glass aside.

“Cameron, what are our casualties?” Karnaka asked, while Grenet was gritting his teeth in anger.

“The equipment in the main kitchen was destroyed, sir,” the servant began his report. “The damage in the dining room is not so significant; everything can be replaced and repaired within a week. Also two from your fruit trees were affected; we will have to cut them down. A slave, who had probably set up that fire, was shot dead on the run. Two of your guards got some burns from putting the fire down, as well as five slaves. Four of them have some troubles with breathing, but otherwise nobody was hurt.”

“That´s not so bad... Bury the body of that girl on the usual place and remind the others, what they can expect if they do not forget about her till this evening.”

“Of course, sir,” Cameron nodded.

After that Karnaka focused his cool glance at the other subordinate: “Did you find any tracks after our fugitives, Math?”

“Nothing except the rope on the wall,” Grenet hissed. “It was probably used by Kamenashi to get in. They had to hide themselves somewhere, waited for us to begin the search and then they scrammed. There is no other explanation, as for why we didn´t catch them on the run. Sir, let me ride to Bozeman and will drag that little shit to you. I swear that...”

“There is no use for the drastic methods yet,” the cold voice interrupted his angry monologue.

“What?! But, sir!!”

“Start behaving or I will forget your merits, Math...” Karnaka reminded the gunman very calmly, but at the same time there was an obvious threat in his voice. “Akanishi was your responsibility.”

Grenet´s features distorted in angry discontent, but he stepped away from the table, bowing his head a little.

“Yes, sir...”

“Good. So, there will be no tearing to shreds and no killing. At least not for now,” Karnaka emphasized again. “But you will ride to Bozeman, anyway.”

And Grenet finally understood. His orders would be probably a little different than he had imagined, but the result would be the same...

“I´m listening, sir.”

***

 

Kuro was the strongest one from all three animals they had on hand, but he was also very stubborn in who could and who couldn´t ride on him. And Ukushi was a little anxious, when it came to the blood, while Liwan insisted on binding the unconscious guy to the saddle separately, so they could proceed faster. But Kame was definitely against it, as he was afraid it might have hurt Jin even more.

In the end, Liwan helped him to get Jin up into Kuro´s saddle, tied his legs to it, while Kame sat behind him, holding Jin in his arms and letting his body lean over himself. It was not the most comfortable solution, but they were both slim, so they fitted even into one saddle well, and it was also safer. Not to mention that it was very calming for Kame to feel the weight of Jin´s body so close.

Finally, he got the older one back and he didn´t intend to let him go anymore... But at the same time, their closeness was keeping up his worries, when he heard the shallow and shaky breathing coming from the guy. Otherwise Jin was so motionless in Kame´s hold, not perceiving the world around him, that it was scary. He would have rather treated his wounds immediately, but that was simply impossible under the circumstances.

Liwan led them on the shortest way across the woods, as they couldn´t afford to use the road. His stallion was obediently followed by Ukushi and Kame with Jin on Kuro were closing the line.

*

Their journey took a long time. It was already after the dawn, when they finally reached the old house. By that time Kame´s arms were stiffened and his hands on the reins cold as a stone. The morning air was chilly, reminding them that another winter was already very close.

Liwan let his horse and Ukushi standing on the side of the house, binding them to the half-collapsed railing of the veranda and then returned to waiting Kuro, which Kame stopped in front of the main entrance.

The Indian released the strips, which were keeping Jin on the place and raised his hands to take him down from Kame´s arms, when his so far calm face changed and there was a shock visible on it. Kame realized quickly, what made the other one to freeze up like this. Liwan could see Jin´s face properly only now, when the first sun rays managed to break their way through the chubby clouds and made all of that damage visible.

“It is not only his face...” Kame stated in a very quiet voice, when Liwan didn´t move for a while.

His friend focused his dark look at Kame´s face for a short moment and said nothing at all. After that he finally took Jin´s body into his arms, pulled him away from Kame and down from the saddle more gently, than he had probably intended before.

Kame made his stiffened muscles to move and dismounted Kuro, patting him across the neck.

“Good boy,” he praised the stallion, when he was leading him to other two animals. He tied his reins only loosely and by the fast steps he headed inside the house.

Liwan placed still unconscious Jin at the table in the old kitchen, took Kame´s coat and trousers off him, leaving the guy only in his underpants. The young shaman was already checking his wounds in the dim light, which was coming inside through the dusty window.

Kame remained in the doorway, looking at the scene in front of him. It was like the whole house started to sway in the long waves and spin in the circles, carrying him to some different place. To the place, where he could perceive nothing else than every single injury, which was placed on Jin´s body... And it clutched his stomach, his lungs and heart so badly, that he just couldn´t breathe and it felt as if his pulse simply stopped its usual running...

*

Liwan had already seen many men suffering in his life; he saw a lot of pain and awful things of which the vicious White Faces were capable. But this, everything what was done to that guy, it was hard only to look at it.

After the short check he could say that his wounds were serious, but they were not threatening his life. That person, who tortured Akanishi, knew how to do it without killing him very well. So he could say that the young gunslinger would get from this alive and in one piece, not counting the scars. If there was no infection coming, though...

Liwan looked up from his unexpected patient to check on Kame, who was suspiciously quiet. And he found his friend standing there like a statue from the white stone, his wide eyes staring at Akanishi. That expression of his was almost creepy...

The Indian moved towards him, but it seemed that Kame didn´t see him at all.

“Kame?”

There was absolutely no reaction, which made Liwan really worried. He raised his hand and squeezed the younger man´s shoulder firmly: “Kazuya, my friend, are you all right?”

The brown eyes swirling in emotions covered themselves with the eyelids for a while, before they finally focused on him.

“What is it?” his friend asked on a hoarse voice.

Liwan frowned over this anxious state Kame was in. He had never seen him like that. But he decided it would be wiser to occupy his mind with something, than to ask him unnecessary questions.

“I have some herbs and medicine with me, but we need hot water, a lot of it. And bandages, any type of cloth, but clean. Can you manage that?”

Kazuya took a deep breath, somehow coming more to his senses finally.

“Yes... I´ll go get some water and... And wood. You can set up a fire in the stove meanwhile, there is some tinder and kindling left,” he pointed at the huge basket in the corner of the room.

Liwan didn´t like his voice at all, so instead of letting him go, he grabbed Kame for the other shoulder too and made him to look into his eyes.

“Kazuya... You care about him so much?” he asked the younger one seriously.

That haunted look in Kame´s eyes was more than enough as an answer.

 _Inscrutable are ways of life and love prepared for us by Manitou..._ Liwan thought gloomily.

“I understand... I will do my best, and he will be all right. Do you hear me?”

Kazuya nodded slowly and looked at the lying body behind Liwan once again.

“I will be right back,” he said and moved away.

Liwan let him go from his grip and the guy disappeared outside.

The young shaman had already noticed before, how much also Akanishi cared for Kame, but it was a big mystery for him, how they could create such a bond so quickly. He was Kame´s friend since they were only children and still, now he had the feeling that their relationship was completely different and not so... strong. And he was also a little jealous...

Some stranger was more important for Kame than his mother? Than himself? What in the world those two had between each other?

*

While Liwan was preparing the special concoction for disinfection and better healing of the wounds in the small pot, Kame heated up many liters of water in the rusty boiler and he was trying to wash Jin´s skin from the bloody mess. It was not an easy job and Kame was really glad for the moment that Jin was not conscious. He was sure the cleaning procedure would have hurt him a lot.

Each wound, which appeared under the layer of scabs and half-dried blood, stabbed Kame in his chest. It was so cruel... He remembered that night, when Jin was raving in fever, so well and when he saw his formerly smooth and beautiful skin so damaged...

Kame gulped down heavily, forcing himself to empty his head from any useless thoughts. He had to focus on one thing, and at the moment it was to help Jin as much as he could. Only after that he could think about what would be the best way of Grenet´s very painful death...

Biting into his lower lip, Kame carried the dark red water away and took clean one from the stove.

“Liwan? Can you help me?” he asked his friend.

Together they moved Jin from the table to the bed in the room next to the kitchen. There was only one old mattress, which Kame covered with the clean bedding he had found in the other smaller bedroom, but it could serve enough for now, as they needed Jin to lie on his stomach.

Kame moved with Jin´s head to the side gently, so that the guy could breathe freely, and his eyes ran across the other one´s back, bringing the tons of stones into his stomach. Liwan stared at that bloody work almost equally shaken, but he was the one who got himself together first.

“Clean it up properly, Kame. If the infection comes, it can kill him.”

“I know,” the younger one replied firmly, but his hand was slightly shaking as he took the wet cloth again and started to wipe the dried blood away by the soothing moves.

After a few minutes the long marks after the merciless whipping became clearly visible. They were deep and Kame knew enough to realize that the scars after them would remain on Jin´s skin forever. Wounds like these could never heal completely...

When Kame returned once again to the lying guy, with hopefully the last bucket of the clean warm water, it seemed to him that Jin´s breathing changed a little. And his suspicion was right. As soon as he touched the older one again, the shaking ran through the tormented body and painful hissing escaped the swollen lips. Jin was coming to his senses...

Kame put the water aside and leant over to reach with his palm to Jin´s head, touching him on his hair, the only place about which he was sure that it would not cause the other one any pain.

*

The infinite darkness transformed into the burning pain in some unexpected moment, which caught Jin unprepared and the only thing he wanted was to return into the arms of unconsciousness again. His back, his stomach, his chest, legs, feet and face, there was an aching and nagging feeling _everywhere_.

“Jin?”

That quiet voice reached to his suffering mind, which was refusing to wake up completely and made him to remember.

The night of loud voices and fire... The gentle hands instead of the cruel touch of the whip...

The escape... Darkness… A feeling of being carried away… Then Kuro...

After a minute the first wave of pervasive pain didn´t ease up, but Jin got used to it a little. It was not another torture; it was just his open wounds crying after the weathered pain and recent treatment. And then he was able to perceive that gentle touch on his head. The touch, which didn´t hurt at all...

“Jin? Are you awake?”

He tried to open his eyes, but the eyelids were so heavy... He just couldn´t open them. So he tried it with his lips and even though it was not much easier, he managed to get a sound from them: “Where...?”

The question was so weak, that he couldn´t almost hear it himself. But the owner of the gentle hand fondling him in his hair understood.

“In the old house of my family,” that soft voice said. “You are safe.”

“He woke up?”

Jin knew the second voice as well, but it took him a little longer to realize it was Kame´s Indian friend. And he had absolutely no energy to think more, as about what Liwan was doing here. He just listened to the conversation.

“You will have to hold him down then...”

“Is it ready?”

“Yes.”

“It smells more awfully than I remember...”

“But it will help.”

Sadly, the touch from his hair disappeared and Jin missed it immediately.

 _Hold me down? Why?_ he thought. _I am so down that I cannot be any lower..._

Jin didn´t get it, until there was a movement around him and two warm palms pressed him for the shoulders, which still felt somehow unnatural in their normal position, while somebody else sat down next to him, mumbling some strange words in the language he didn´t know.

“Jin, it will hurt you now...”

_Hurt? Pain again? Everything hurts me enough already..._

“But it will be better after that, I promise...” there was something in that voice above him in what Jin could trust.

“All right...” he whispered in resignation.

But it cost him a lot of desperate efforts to stick on that voice and its promise, when somebody filled the wounds on his back with the boiling oil.

*

Even though Jin certainly had no power left for resistance, his body still writhed in the instinctive self-defense under Kame´s hands and the painful moaning came through his throat with the last power of his cords.

Liwan didn´t pay an attention to it, he was too focused at putting the prepared healing bandages filled with the mixture of herbs and disinfection on all open wounds, while he was asking Manitou in his mother tongue to judge and either help or not to the guy.

The healing concoction was very strong, Kame knew it very well and he also knew it was for Jin´s good, but still... It was still breaking his heart watching the older one almost crying.

Finally, after two long minutes the special medicine worked and Kame felt the muscles under his palms to ease up. Then Jin went very quiet.

“Help me turn him again,” Liwan said.

Very carefully with the bandages remaining on his back, they turned Jin over, so that the young shaman could take care of the rest of wounds, while Kame remained kneeling next to the bed, unconsciously rubbing Jin through his hair.

“This one is bad,” Liwan said looking at the place on Jin´s stomach, which seemed burnt by something. There were some other small burns too, but those were not dangerous. Kame rather didn´t think about what could cause the huge almost black hole in the other´s skin. “And this is still bleeding a little...” the Indian continued putting the rest of herbs inside the short but deep cuts on Jin´s thighs. “And those hands...”

Kame just watched Liwan´s skillful fingers observing the cleaned wounds one after another silently.

“I have not enough herbs with me, and no ointments,” the Indian said in the end. “This has to be taken care of properly,” he was frowning mainly at the burn, before he looked up and focused his look at pale Kame. “I have to go for it, to the tribe,” he stated. “Will you stay here?”

Kame just nodded, but Liwan was thinking about the situation more wisely.

“Aren´t you supposed to be back? In the city?” he asked.

Kazuya looked at him, his eyes suddenly very dark: “He cannot stay alone.”

“That´s true, but...” Liwan admitted, but he still didn´t like it.

“I will stay here,” Kame interrupted him relentlessly. “I will watch over him. Just come back quickly.”

And looking into those eyes, which still belonged to his friend, but he didn´t know them so far, Liwan gave up on other arguments.

*

Liwan left on his stallion in quite a hurry. Kame took care of Ukushi and Kuro even more hastily, putting their saddles down, hiding them and all other stuff in the house, and the animals themselves behind the building as close to the wall as was only possible, hoping that no sneaky eyes would be able to spot them.

He also gave them some oat from the small supplies he brought with him and before returning to Jin he went to the old well for the fresh water. He needed to prepare the cold bandages; it was the only thing he could do to treat those burns for now…

*

It was in the late afternoon, when Kame noticed the rustle from the bedroom and looking up from the stove, where he was trying to prepare the hot broth from the dried beef, through the open door he found Jin trying to sit up. His legs moved sooner than he even ordered them, heading right towards the guy.

It was already the third time, when Jin woke up from his restless sleep. Each time Kame tried to get some water into him, as the older one was completely dehydrated. And each time his stomach refused the liquid and threw it up. That was the consequence of the strong medicine against pain, which Kame gave him in the barn on that awful farm. They wouldn´t get away without it, but he still felt sorry for giving it to suffering Jin. He knew he couldn´t give this quest up, the lack of fluids was the last thing Jin needed.

At first Kame wanted to make the older one to lie down again, but seeing his quite desperate attempt to sit up, he changed his mind. He moved to the headboard, put his hands on Jin´s shoulders and gently supported him, until he was able to sit. The guy was murmuring some inaudible swearing, but he seemed relieved to be in another position.

“Take it easy, will you?” Kame said after he sat down behind him, checking if the healing bandages remained on their place.

There was a sound, which indicated that Jin wanted to say something, but it came out only as a squawk. Kame took the prepared water from the night table again and moved a little to sit next to Jin, but so that he had the other hand behind the older one´s back, just for sure.

“Will you try again?” he asked.

Jin nodded slightly and he even raised his hand up, to take the water from Kame, before he noticed the state in which his fingers were and reconsidered his original intention.

*

The pain was still there, but not unbearable. He couldn´t ignore it, but he was able to focus on his surroundings fully. The worse thing was that he felt like a new-born foal.

Jin didn´t like to be so weak in front of Kame, but there was no help from it. His shaking fingers, covered in the thin layer of cloth, wouldn´t have been able to hold even a hat right now, not speaking about the heavy mug. He would have spilled all of it on himself.

So he let Kame attach the edge of the cup to his lips again, allowing him to drink a little. It was humiliating in a way, being taken care of as a child, but it had nothing in common with the humiliation of past two days. Moreover, it felt like being dragged into another world, into the world where the other person´s touch and closeness was actually nice and not painful. And Kame was close to him every time Jin came to his senses, since the moment he had recognized his worried face in the barn...

Jin gulped down one swallow carefully, trying to ignore the aching throat. And he waited, as well as Kame. To the surprise and relief of both, it seemed that his body would finally accept it.

“More?”

Jin nodded again and enjoyed another gulp of cool water, which tasted better than the best whiskey he had ever drunk at the moment. How comes he had never realized what a blessing the water was?

He pushed his mouth into the mug eagerly, taking a mouthful of it.

“Slowly, Jin...” Kame reminded him, when a few drops spilled over, but a smile could be heard in his voice.

Jin took a deep breath. It felt so good that he might be even able to speak finally and... But that idea was stopped by the gentle touch on his lips and Jin realized how close to him Kame actually was...

*

Kame put the mug away and with the piece of clean cloth he dried Jin´s face. He was so glad that they were able to bring his stomach to senses. Finally, he could let himself feel a little optimistic...

After giving his hand down again, he noticed the dark look of Jin´s eyes, which were still narrow, but the guy saw much better for sure. And the older one was watching him with the strange urgency...

Kame backed off right away. Jin probably didn´t like being so helpless and he was treating him like he was a child or what... It had to be unpleasant for him and he didn´t even think about it.

“Sorry...” he murmured avoiding that look, which he couldn´t read.

“What?” Jin reacted confused, his voice scratching like a file. “What for? Kame... I...thank...you...” he spoke really hoarsely, but it was recognizable.

Kame returned his look to the other´s face hesitantly. It seemed that Jin was finally fully awake only now, but it didn´t make the view on him any easier.

*

“I must...look horrible... right?” Jin asked and he wanted to smirk, forgetting about the broken lips for a moment, which reminded itself immediately, so it ended up in the painful hissing instead.

“Yeah...” the younger one murmured.

Looking at Kame again, Jin found him being awfully sad.

“Kame...” he started, but he was not allowed to continue.

“I will never forgive him for what he did to you...” Kame said in a deep voice and got up from the bed.

Jin watched him going back to the front part of the house and his brain started to work slowly.

 _He_... Grenet... And his words...

“Kame!” Jin almost choked on the name, how loudly he called it and his cords protested immediately. The younger one turned back quickly, scolding him: “You shouldn´t talk so much yet. Rest more.”

“No... I have to...tell you...something,” Jin coughed a few times and that awoke the pain in his stomach muscles.

_Fucking Grenet..._

He invited Kame back to him with the gesture of his hand, trying to suppress the next cough.

“Jin...” the bartender wanted to object something again.

“Listen!” Jin insisted fiercely, ignoring the scratches in his throat.

Kame remained standing above him, eyeing Jin with a deep frown, but he kept silent. Jin took a deep breath.

“You have to be...careful... Grenet... He figured out, it was... That it was you...who helped me.”

Kame stiffened and Jin felt horribly, that he had to tell him that bad news.

“I´m really sorry... Kame, I didn´t... I didn´t tell him anything... He just...”

“You don´t have to apologize, Jin,” Kame interrupted him again. “Grenet is a bastard, but unfortunately he is not an idiot.”

“Yes, I know...” Jin had to agree with that. “And now, when you helped me to escape... And he didn´t find us... He might want to...”

Then Kame realized it too: “My mother...” he wheezed out through the narrow throat, before Jin could finish the sentence.

The younger one basically turned into the deadly white statue right in front of him. Jin was looking at him worriedly, while Kame was frozen on the spot and there was a wave of emotions coming across his face. Jin could imagine how important the mother was for Kazuya. And now she was left alone in the city, while the he was taking care of him...

“You should...” he gulped down heavily, forcing himself to say the next words. “You should go...and check...on her.”

Kame blinked, focusing his eyes on Jin.

“But...” he started doubtfully.

“I will be fine here...” Jin knew what was going through Kame´s mind. “Nobody knows where I am, right? But your mother...”

Kame stared at him kind of desperately, before he covered his face with one palm, like he was trying to escape from what was haunting him in his head right now. But there was no escape, no peace for either of them...

*

His movements around the house were pushed to be faster by fear for a mother and by guilt, that he didn´t think about her before. All he was focused at was Jin and now...

Kame was running there and back again, preparing more water, wood, some food and bandages. He also brought the rifle from the hideout behind the house, putting it right next to the bed. And between all of this he managed to give Jin the instructions.

“Liwan should be back till the nightfall, do not kill him in the door... Try to lie on your side and do not touch those bandages. Liwan will take care of them, when he arrives... Drink this, while it´s still hot and there´s also the water; just be careful with it and...”

The grip on his wrist made Kame totally out of balance, after he put the full mug on the night stand and wanted to rush to the kitchen again, continuing his speech. But he lost his words for a moment, as he stared at that hand with no nails, crippled and not able to shoot for some time, which was not holding him as strongly as it could, but there was still power in the grip. Kame looked at its owner, who was still sitting on the bed.

“I´m not a kid, Kame...” Jin said with obvious efforts to keep his voice steady. “I will survive here alone, I guess... I´m more worried...about you right now... Don´t you want to wait for that Indian... for Liwan first? You shouldn´t go there alone...”

“Jin...” Kame used almost the same emphasis on the name as Jin himself before. “She is my only family left.”

They exchanged looks for a while, which were saying more than could be expressed with words. It was like a stupid reversed _déja vu_ , only this time it was Kame marching right into the danger. And Jin had to let him go alone, because he was too damn weak to even get up and go to pee by himself.

Kame was concerned for Jin too; he didn´t want to leave the guy in this state in the old house alone, but everything in him screamed to go and protect his mother.

The younger one let go of a deep sigh, stepping closer to the bed. The bruises on Jin´s face were still very fresh, they didn´t even start to change the colour. Only the swellings were much smaller, so his eyes were looking at him with their full power, which was still bringing that shaky feeling somewhere inside of Kame. And he could see it in them...

Jin didn´t complain, but all those open wounds, the burns, cuts and bruises had to hurt as hell. The potion´s effects were long gone and the herbs Liwan put into the bandages couldn´t suppress all of what the injuries were doing to him. The older guy couldn´t control it when they were escaping and he cried for his help, but now despite his exhaustion Jin was fully awake and Kame saw, that he didn´t want to cause him any more worries than was necessary. The more he wanted to stay... But he couldn´t.

“I understand...” Jin broke the silence in the end. “But Kame, be careful...”

“I will... Do you need anything else I can get for you?”

There was something, but Jin couldn´t ask for it. The one thing he wanted deep in his heart right now was Kame to stay with him, so that he would know he was safe. Letting him go right into Grenet´s hands was something, what made him to feel even worse than all his wounds.

“I just need you not to get hurt...” he said grievously.

Kame´s expression softened and he took Jin´s hand out of his wrist gently.

“I wished the same thing for you and look what happened...” he reacted.

“Exactly that´s why...” Jin frowned. “Grenet is a sick bastard... If you don´t wait, I will send Liwan after you then and...”

“No,” Kame interrupted him stubbornly. “Jin, just don´t. I will not drag anyone else into this.”

“But...” Jin sinking in worries tried again.

“Look, Captain Walker is in the city, I will ask him for help. I did him a favour too with the search.”

Jin was looking into those eyes above him, feeling the warmth of Kame´s palm on his hand, and he knew he couldn´t do anything else than to give up.

“All right...” he said, but caught Kame again with his other hand, not caring about the painful protest of his fingers. “Just promise... Promise me that you will not go to Grenet...or even Karnaka alone,” Jin insisted. “Or I will not let you go...”

A sad smile appeared on Kame´s lips: “And you promise me to stay in bed and rest.”

“Kazuya...” Jin strengthened his grip as much as he could.

The urgency in his voice and eyes made Kame wanting to hug the guy, but he just nodded his head instead.

“I will make sure my mother is safe and I will come back as soon as I can, all right?”

“All right...” Jin agreed sadly.

*

After Ukushi´s hooves ran around the house, and their stomping in the grass died out in the distance, Jin carefully curled up on his right side, which hurt only a little less than the left one, in the least painful position he was able to find and closed his eyes firmly. Despite he tried to suppress it, his whole body started to shake again. Some places on his skin felt hot, others cold and all of them hurt. He focused on simply not moving anymore, as even an inch of it caused some wave of uncomfortable feeling. There was no one on whom he could focus anymore, so only his friend named pain was left.

But even though he could just lie on this bed, even though nobody was beating him, burning or cutting him anymore, he still felt awfully. Or maybe even worse...

Kazuya saved him from that Hell. It was like a miracle to Jin. They didn´t even have a time for the proper talk and he didn´t know how the other one was able to find him, if Ella talked to him or not, Kame said basically nothing about how he rescued him.

Jin remembered something from that night, but everything was blurry and covered by his fighting with pain. But he knew he was not able to move on his own much and that had to make their escape very difficult. He didn´t even know how that Indian had found them and helped Kame to treat him.

And now he was there, again helpless, again knowing that Kame was in danger and he could do nothing about it. Only now it was worse. Before it was the rope and that fucker Grenet what was keeping Jin on the place, unable to move. Now it was the inability of his body. He was free, but stuck to the bed. Jin almost hated himself for that, but he still hated Grenet more...

 _If that shitty deputy bends even a hair on Kame´s head, I will skin him alive..._ he swore to himself.


	28. Kame´s choice

**A** s if Ukushi understood Kame´s reasons to rush, the mare crossed her usual speed border and the gallop of her hooves was so fast, that the trees along their road were nothing but smears in the light of a dying day.

Kame was at the edge of losing control over the fear of what he might find in the city. It was so strong that it was almost suffocating him. For that moment, he managed to keep that fear inside his heart and remained focused at the furious ride to Bozeman. Despite that he almost didn´t notice when they reached the first houses. Then there was the barber´s place and post office, saloon...

Finally Ukushi turned to the street, where their house was standing. He jumped down even before the mare stopped completely. Ukushi remained standing there, snorting fast and her shoulders rising up and down heavily, while Kame burst into the door, not thinking on anything else but finding his mother.

The lock was unlocked, and the house cold and dark. Not a single lantern was lit, no fire in the stove, everything was breathing with emptiness.

“Mother?!” the word coming from Kame´s mouth was more like a desperate whisper.

He wanted to check the bedrooms, when his eyes spotted something white at the kitchen table. Something what didn´t belong there...

With a bad hunch and his hands shaking Kame took the matchsticks from the shelf and lit up the lantern hanging from the ceiling. The light fell onto the sheet of paper and Kame almost forgot to breathe. It was a message for him...

**I have your mother.**

**Come to my office.**

**Grenet**  
  
---  
  
Nothing more was there. No threats, no details; just that order. Grenet knew that Kame would come anyway.

He let the paper go off his hand and once again just during one day the room swirled around him in crazy spins. Kame almost ran out of the house right away, but somehow he made himself to sit down in the empty kitchen instead. He stared at that cocky writing, breathing slowly, forcing his heart to calm down a little and think first.

After a minute or two, Kame doused the lantern and went outside again. Faithful Ukushi was standing in front of their veranda, where he had left her, and she was watching him with her warm eyes. The mare was completely wet from sweat, her mane and tail in a huge mess.

“I´m sorry, dear, I pushed you so much...” Kame patted her, whispering apologies into her ear.

The mare shook with her noble head so that her bridle clung. Kame checked the street quickly, in case there would be any of Grenet´s capers nearby, but there was nobody in sight. Then he led Ukushi around the house to her shelter first, before he headed towards the saloon, while he avoided even looking in the direction of Sheriff´s Office.

*

Harada was observing the half-empty saloon drowning in the gloomy thoughts. He didn´t want to admit it at first, but he was missing his young employee. Not that he was occupied with work so much without him, as those were not exactly busy days, but except over-talkative Miss McBain there was nobody to speak with properly. Not even that likeable youngster Akanishi appeared yet.

The saloon´s owner liked talking to Kamenashi; he was a clever young man and also very hard-working. He was worried about him, when Rosie Kamenashi came to apologize the other day for her son staying in bed for a few days. He just hoped the young man would be all right soon.

With a deep sigh, Harada checked the present guests again, but nobody needed a refill at the moment. So he headed to the kitchen to grab something to eat. When Kame was not there, he tended to forget about his dinner.

The kitchen was enlightened by just one lantern at the table; otherwise it was full of deep shadows. And Harada almost jumped out of his skin, when a quiet voice from the back part of the room greeted him.

“Good evening, Mr. Harada.”

The old man had to catch his breath back first, before he was able to shook his shock off. He didn´t expect anyone´s presence there at all, as Miss McBain had already left a long time ago. And now, the very person, who he was just thinking about, moved forward into the light.

“Kamenashi!” Harada breathed out heavily. “What...? How did you...?”

“I came in by the side entrance, sir,” Kamenashi was polite as usually, but it seemed that he was troubled by something completely else than his manners. “I´m sorry I scared you off, but I needed to get here so that none of Grenet´s men saw me.”

“Troubles again?” Harada finally found his usual calmness and observed the unexpected incomer closely.

“I can´t talk about it right now,” there was a quiet response from the young man. “But can you please call Captain Walker? Tell him to wait for me outside? It is important.”

This was getting stranger and stranger. For what might Kamenashi need the captain?

“I´d like to, Kamenashi, but I´m sorry, Walker had left this morning with his soldiers,” Harada informed the younger one frowning.

Already not very well-looking man turned completely pale.

“This morning?” he repeated on a strangled voice. “Why?”

“To the nearest military base, for some back-up because of that group of rebels, he said,” Harada explained. “What´s going on? Can I help you somehow? You don´t look well...”

There was a short silence, before his bartender reacted on a forcefully calm voice.

“Thank you, sir, but you cannot help me... I need to go now...”

“Kame, wait!” Harada tried to stop him. “Can you at least explain...?”

The very dark eyes focused on him once again: “My apologies, Mr. Harada, but it seems like you will have to find a new bartender...”

After that Kamenashi left, leaving the dumbfounded saloon´s owner behind.

*

So, that was it. He ended up being alone in the mess again...

He should have remembered that Walker wanted to go for more soldiers because of that incident with Sioux. But there was already more than enough stress on his mind, to keep that information in it.

Kame was standing on the street, looking at the lights on the veranda of Sheriff´s Office. There were at least four gunmen, observing everyone who passed by. There were also guards at the back part of the building; he could see the orange lights of their cigarettes. They were waiting for him...

There was not much he could do. Jin was safe, for now, Liwan would take care of him. But his mother... If Grenet did something to her, anything at all...

Kame clenched his fists firmly, keeping his determined look on that place. Then his feet moved, heading right towards the office, not making a single step away from the direction.

He would not leave his mother in Grenet´s hands, never. That´s how it was and the deputy knew it. Fine then... There was no need to act in any other way than which the deputy expected from him...

*

Young Danny peeked into the room, which was filled with the thick smoke and smell of whiskey.

“Boss? Kamenashi is coming,” he reported excitedly.

The deputy poured himself another glass of Sheriff´s whiskey, smirking satisfied. Finally.

“Let him in,” he reacted shortly.

“Yes, boss,” the youngster nodded and disappeared again.

Only a few seconds after that, his awaited baby boy marched into the office, without paying any attention to the guards on the veranda or to other two men, who were standing on both sides of his table. He was like a blind sheep, coming right into the muzzle of a hungry wolf, even his face was white as wool. Math so knew that the bartender would go crazy because of his precious mother.

“It took you long enough,” Grenet welcomed the youngster, taking the drink into his hand.

He had no idea, how many glasses he had already drunk during that annoying waiting, but he couldn´t care less.

“Where is my mother?” Kamenashi snapped surprisingly coldly.

“Not so fast, baby boy,” Math threw the drink into his throat. It was a burning pleasure; he really needed to find out where that old sheriff bought those bottles. “I believe we can make a deal. I will exchange your mother for a _certain_ bighead.”

“I have no idea what you´re talking about,” the bartender reacted.

That pretty boy in front of his table was staring at him quite militantly; there was no fear in his face, just anger. Well, well, he liked taming the disobedient horses too...

“Interesting,” Grenet hissed caustically and put the empty glass away. “Bring her,” he ordered to one of his men, before returning his glance to the bartender. “We will see if your mind enlightens a little...”

Kamenashi made a step closer to the scratched desk, with disgust in his eyes.

“If you have a problem, Grenet, why won´t you solve it with me?! Stop dragging my mother into this like a coward!”

Grenet let his smirk disappear and very slowly he got up on his feet.

 _Ok, that is enough. No shitty pretty bastard will treat me like this..._ he thought staring at the younger one.

 “This situation is your own fault, baby boy,” he stated, letting the anger appear in his voice.

Kamenashi didn´t avoid his look; he was repaying it with such a force, that it surprised Math a little. As he remembered, the last time the boy had much more respect... Right now the bartender looked that he was able to point the gun at him and fire without any hesitation.

His subordinate came back to the office, leading that old hag behind him. Rosie Kamenashi was dishevelled, her dress wrinkled and face pale, but otherwise she was too much all right to Grenet´s taste. And she spotted her son´s presence right away.

“Kazuya!” a huge relief in her voice was almost visible.

Kamenashi couldn´t help it, he moved his eyes to the mother and his expression completely changed.

“Are you all right?” he asked, not able to cover his worries this time.

The woman just nodded, looking at him with her eyes shining and she made a move as she wanted to step closer, but his man was holding her firmly.

“Well, I hate to interrupt your moving reunion,” Grenet spoke and went around the table, stopping in front of that little fucker. “But as I said, we will make a deal.”

“Just let her go, Grenet, this is enough,” Kamenashi responded quite upset. “She didn´t commit any crime, you are breaking the law here.”

“Does it seem to you that I care?” Math raised his eyebrows mockingly.

After this sentence, Kamenashi´s face turned into the shining example of hatred, but he kept his mouth shut. Grenet almost laughed at it aloud. It was so good to have the upper hand.

“Listen, boy. I will let your mother go only when you bring Akanishi to me.”

“What does he have to do with this?” the bartender reacted immediately.

Math snorted dissatisfied. Then he moved with his hand so fast, that baby boy had no chance to avoid the hit, even if he knew it was coming. The sharp sound echoed in the room, making Rosie gasp in fright. Kamenashi´s face remained turned to the side, where his slap forced it to go.

“You will _not_ make an idiot of me,” Math emphasized each word. “Is that clear?”

That too pretty head in front of him straightened again and the eyes pierced him with no less anger than before.

“I don´t know where he is,” Kamenashi said, using the same tone as himself.

Grenet gritted his teeth. This little piece of shit was always able to piss him off, but he overdid it this time.

He moved forward, grabbed Kamenashi for his neck and pushed him to move, until he hit the opposite wall with his back. He did it very hard and hopefully also painfully for him. It made him go off breath at least. Then Math pulled out his favourite knife from its sheath on his belt by the other hand and pressed its peak to Kame´s face.

“Kazuya!” his mother screamed in fear and moved forward again, quite furiously, but both his men hold her back.

“Shut up, I have to explain something to your stupid son,” Math gritted through his teeth, not even looking back at her.

“Let him go, you monster!” the woman still defied her captors. “You will not get away with this!”

“Take that annoying bitch away!” he ordered. “Now!”

“Don´t you dare to hurt him!” Rosie kept screaming, when they were dragging her back to the cell.

“And make her shut up!” Grenet snapped, before the office´s door was closed finally and he remained just with the young bartender.

Kamenashi didn´t move an inch, but Math saw his eyes filled with the burning rage. And as he pressed against him, he felt the bartender´s chest going up and down fast, as well as the hot and soft skin of the other´s neck under his left palm. The smirk sneaked its way back to his lips.

_As soon as we will be done with the Akanishi issue, I will enjoy this pretty boy a lot..._

*

The smelly breath flooded Kame´s face from the very unpleasant closeness. He forced himself not to fight back. He was taunting the deputy enough already and Grenet was obviously angry as hell. Kame was afraid that he would take that on his mother later.

So he didn´t move away, despite that grip and breath made him almost shake in disgust. Not to mention that his body was pinched to the wall by that bastard, who caused Jin so much pain...

“Let´s make it clear for you,” Grenet hissed with that awful smirk of his. “I don´t care, if you know or not. You will find him and bring him to me personally, or she dies. Did I make it clear enough?”

Kame stared into those ugly eyes, which were piercing him with anger, but also with the strange gloss, which meaning he would rather not to know. The pressure of the knife strengthened and he felt the blood dripping from the cut on his face.

“Do you understand?” Grenet repeated on the voice grating like the nails on tin.

“Yes...” Kame forced himself to say, almost spitting into that ugly face instead.

“Good boy...”

Grenet kept the knife close to his face, but he let his neck go, heading down with the free hand across his chest. Then he moved closer and whispered right into Kame´s ear.

“You have one day for it. Sooner you bring him, better for you, baby boy. If you don´t...”

To Kame´s shock, in the next second he felt the rude grip right on his crotch. It made him flinch and the blade cut even deeper into his face.

“You will pay me for each minute of your delay... You will pay a lot, baby boy, for causing so many troubles...”

Kame couldn´t make himself to breathe again, his whole body frozen by irrepressible anguish. And that bastard seemed awfully satisfied with his reaction. Then finally, Grenet let him go and stepped back, tapping with the bloody knife over his open palm.

“What are you waiting for?” he asked, curving his lips scornfully. “Get the fuck out! Your time is running!”

*

 

When Kame went out to the street again, his knees were shaking as if they transformed themselves into jelly. He was able to put on a brave face almost all that time, but when he was alone... Grenet touching him in the way he did; it knotted Kame´s guts into the hard clutch. He felt awful bitterness at his tongue, which almost made him to vomit.

A few years ago, he couldn´t even imagine that he would be able to despise somebody so much. That feeling permeated through his entire body - he hated Grenet even more than Karnaka himself...

In this shaken state Kame reached their house again. He intended to go inside, but his jelly knees refused to carry him on any longer. He more like collapsed than sat down at the stairs leading up to their veranda, leaning the elbows over his knees and covering his face with both palms.

When Kame entered the sheriff´s office, he was determined to deal with the situation with his mind clear. But now, when he still felt that rude touch on himself, more than aware of that Grenet considered him nothing more than a toy for play and that he was capable of absolutely anything, no matter how much cruel the action would be and there was nobody to stop him...

Kame let go of a shaky breath. How did it come to this point? What should he do?

“Kame!” a girl´s voice, full of joy and worries at the same time, disturbed him from his motionless anxiety and Kame looked up.

The blonde-haired girl was rushing towards him across the street, with the warm scarf loosely around her shoulders, the hair flitting around her head in the air, as she ran out her home in a hurry.

“Kame...” Lena sat down next to him, touching Kame´s shoulder worriedly. “I´m so relieved to see you... What happened? Where is your mother? I cannot find her since this morning...”

Kame sighed heavily and leant over the pillar, which was holding up the short roof above them.

 _Lena..._ Kame considered her as a younger sister. She was just another person, who was hurt by that inhuman creature.

Math Grenet.

First he threatened Liwan. Then he shot Mike. Then he attempted to rape Lena. Then he tortured Jin so much that the guy was almost unrecognizable. And now he threatened to kill his mother...

“Kame...” the girl reproached to him again softly. “Please, speak to me, I´m scared...”

At that moment something awoke inside Kame´s heart, something what suppressed the fear and worries and that horrible helplessness. After everything what that bastard did, he was supposed to just give Jin over to him? Let him torture the guy again? And even if he did, where was the guarantee that Grenet would have not killed his mother anyway?

It was already enough... He would not be defeated by that human trash. He would not let that monster hurt the people precious to him anymore. He was determined to fight with everything he had. But he needed some help to accomplish it...

Kame looked at the girl next to him, who was squeezing his shoulder anxiously.

“Lena... Grenet imprisoned my mother,” he said on a quiet and serious voice.

The blonde one gasped for a breath: “Why?!” she exclaimed indignantly. “She didn´t do anything!”

“He is blackmailing me... But I won´t let him hurt anyone anymore.”

“Kame, tell me what´s going on!”

He took both of girl´s hands into his: “I cannot explain it to you now, but I need your help, Lena. Grenet must be stopped.”

The expression at the girl´s face was surprised first, but then turned into a very serious one.

“I cannot agree more,” she whispered.

“I will answer any questions, which you have, later, but for now just do what I will ask you for, all right? Will you help me?”

Lena squeezed Kame´s hands firmly.

“Yes, I will,” she replied determined. “What do you need me to do?”

***

 

The peace of the night forest was interrupted by soft snorting of a horse and by the crack of little twigs under its hooves. The small yellow light appeared in the darkness, approaching the huge oak standing lonely within the army of conifers. Soon the rider´s face became recognizable, beautiful but very serious features of the young man.

The rider stopped his mare at the tree and hung the small lantern, so far holding in his hand, up onto the stump of a broken branch. After that the young man dismounted the animal and turned a little, as if he listened to something behind him in the darkness. Then he moved, leading the noble mare away from the road, on which they arrived.

The sound of their movement died out and the woods got peaceful and quiet again. Only the light of the lantern was disturbing the usual picture. Until other two riders appeared, attracted by that light.

“Damn!” one of them exclaimed, when he realized, that the light they were pursuing so far was really not moving anymore and not because its owner went to relieve himself, but because it´s hanging on the branch, while there was nobody around at all.

“Do you think he noticed us?” the other murmured, observing the dark forest around.

“No, smartass. He let it here for the wolves to see better on their prey,” an ironic snap replied him. “You go in this direction; I will check the north side. If we don´t find him, let´s meet up back here in an hour.”

“All right,” his companion nodded, before frowning and asking another question. “And if we find him?”

The first one turned his eyes to the night sky in disbelief.

“You drink too much beer, don´t you?” he lashed out at his stupid companion. “Of course keep following him, idiot! We need to find out where he hid that Akanishi asshole, or Grenet will rip our heads off!”

*

 

It was much more difficult to hurry in the dark, but Kame had no time to lose. He trusted Ukushi to find the safe way, so he didn´t spend more time than was really necessary in the city and he headed right back towards his old home.

But first, he had to get rid of those two tails, which stuck on him as soon as he set off from Bozeman. It delayed him a little, but it was worth of it, as he led them in the completely different direction and returned in own tracks, only through the woods.

He reached the old house almost at the same time when they got there the day before, with the weak sun slowly rising above the hills. Kame just managed to get down from already quite tired Ukushi, and Liwan was already in the doorway.

“Finally! What were you thinking?! Going there alone!” his Indian friend seemed unusually upset; there was no sign of the usual calmness.

“I did what I had to do,” Kame stated stubbornly, turning to face him.

“What about your mother?” Liwan asked frowning worriedly.

“Grenet wants to exchange Jin for her,” Kame informed him shortly, glancing at the open door.

A very vulgar expression in the Indian language followed, before Liwan asked another question: “And he let you leave alone?”

“Not exactly, but he is quite confident that I will obey. He just sent some capers after me, but I got rid of them.”

“What will you do now, Kame?”

He looked into his friend´s eyes finally. Liwan was watching him silent and with expectation.

“I will not give him what he wants,” Kame stated in a little rebellious way, as he expected some objections.

“I thought so...” Liwan murmured. “But you need help, right?”

Kame took a deep breath: “I´m not sure if I can still ask for it...” he said more humbly.

“Kame...” the Indian moved with his hands and took Kame´s right arm into them, squeezing it firmly. “You and your mother are members of our tribe; our Brother and our Sister. We swore to protect each other. Of course we will help you as much as we can.”

Kame was touched and grateful to Liwan for not trying to talk him out of his decision, just offering help.

“Obrige tamaši, Liwan...” he thanked him relieved. “But didn´t the tribe already leave for the winter resort?”

“Most of them did, but not all,” Liwan assured him. “Some stayed behind for a while, together with my father. Some warriors are still there, too. How many of us do you need?”

Kame reconsidered what he saw in the city quickly.

“Six. And also some more, who will take Jin away. He can´t stay here, I´m afraid that somebody might recall this house and find him...”

“Unfortunately, I have to agree....” Liwan reacted gloomily.

Kame stiffened, feeling the new gulp of fear in his stomach.

“What do you mean? What is it? How is Jin?” all questions left his lips in one breath.

“He was all right when I got here, he informed me about where you went, but then...” there was a short pause, as Liwan was thinking about how to say it. “I hoped it will not come, but there is infection in some of his wounds. He already has a high fever...”

Another heavy strike fell on Kame´s head. Jin and the fever was not a good combination at all.

“I did my best, but... He needs the help of my father,” Indian stated hopelessly. “I have not enough skills for this...” he seemed really sorry for not being able to do more.

“I understand...” Kame said quietly. “It is not your fault, Liwan, don´t feel bad about it.”

“Here, this is for the tea against fever, prepare it for him,” Liwan pressed the small sachet into Kame´s palm. “And make him to drink water, as much as possible. I leave right away; will be back with others after noon. And then we will rescue your mother.”

Liwan seemed so sure about their goal, holding Kame´s hand firmly and giving him courage; he was the best friend Kame could only have...

The Indian´s eyes went wide suddenly: “Oh, Kame! Don´t you dare to cry here! Men don´t cry!”

“I know,” Kame smiled faintly and from the sudden impulse, he hugged his friend. “Thank you, thank you so much, Liwan.”

Liwan repaid his hug shortly and then looked at him again, with a small smile on his lips.

“You are my brother. There is nothing to thank me for...” he assured the younger one, before he dashed off to his horse.

*

 

It was hot, he was bloody thirsty and couldn´t get to any drink, because he didn´t want to move. Or he _couldn´t_ move, actually? It did not matter, anyway. He was not able to make himself care about if he dies of thirst or not.

Jin was lying on his side again, as the position on his back was simply not a possibility right now, with his eyes closed. He was trying hard to ignore the shrieks of vultures in his ears. He knew they were just a part of his imagination, which included the desert at the time of noon, onto which somebody threw him without any mercy. Stupid birds’ screaming was making his head to hurt more. So instead of the images of his mind, he was trying to figure out what those voices somewhere outside the house were saying.

It was like they were speaking in a language he had never heard, he just couldn´t grasp the meaning of their conversation. Was it important or not? Was it something about him? From some reason, he didn´t really want to deal with it...

The imaginary hungry shrieks in his head got louder. The ugly vultures were looking forward to their snack.

_Screw you; I am not dead yet..._

Only a gentle touch made Jin ignore the crazy ideas and open his eyes. The familiar face was blurry at first, but when he forced himself to focus more; he recognized the worried features clearly.

“What are you doing, Jin?” Kazuya asked, sitting at the edge of the bed, his palm soothing Jin´s forehead.

It was so nice; that hand was cool and Jin felt miraculously relieved with its touch. His mind finally cleared up and the desert disappeared along with those shitty birds. Only the hotness remained...

“I´m sorry...” he managed to say with some effort. “I rested, really, but... I´m hopeless, right?” he chuckled a little desperately.

“No, you´re not hopeless...” the younger one replied softly. “You are just sick...”

The hand moved away from his head towards the covers on those places, which burnt Jin the most. He was watching Kame´s face, when he looked there and he saw that twinkle of dismay, before the worried expression returned.

Well, he didn´t have to see it to know it was bad. Suddenly, it was like there was not enough oxygen in the air for his lungs, but he ignored it.

“Are you... all right?” he asked the younger one breathing heavily.

“You´re the one to ask...” Kame reacted, watching him with those goldish eyes of his, which always seemed like an illusion for Jin, because in fact they were of a warm brown colour.

“And your... mother?” he continued stubbornly.

“Grenet has her...” Kame responded slowly. “But don´t worry, she will be all right. The tribe will help me and we will get her out of there. She wants to meet you, you know?”

So Kazuya´s mother was still alive. Good… But there was something what Jin didn´t like on Kame´s voice and face. And despite his brain was screaming in protest, as it didn´t want to think, he kept observing the other one closely.

“Did he hurt you?” Jin asked slowly. “Did he... Did he touch you? Because if he did...”

Kame seemed abashed as the older one kept asking, and repaid Jin´s look with the indecisive expression. Then Jin finally spotted what he didn´t like on that beautiful face. There was blood at Kame´s left cheek.

“Did he do that?” he asked hoarsely, staring at that deep cut, probably caused with the knife. Not to mention that now he also saw Kame´s lip swollen, as if he was hit hard.

Kazuya´s eyes widened: “What do you mean, Jin?” he asked hesitantly.

Suddenly, Jin felt strong enough to kick somebody´s ass.

“What are you...?” the younger one tried to stop him and keep Jin down, but he supported himself over the shaky hands anyway and got up into the sitting position, his back and stomach screaming in new pain. But when he could see Kame´s face properly, he got even more determined to know the truth.

“Your cheek... Your mouth... Did he hit you?” Jin repeated the question, almost cutting the words with his teeth.

“Well...” Kame seemed surprised by sudden Jin´s activity, and observed him carefully. “Yes, he did, but that is nothing unexpected from him. I´m all right, Jin.”

“It is _not_ all right!” Jin snapped so violently, that everything around him started to waver in strange haze. His vision got a little blurry again, and Madame Fever reminded him laughing that he was too weak against her. “Did he do anything else?” he asked another question, with his throat narrow.

“No,” Kame´s reply came too fast and was too short.

Jin frowned: “I don´t believe you...”

“He threatened me...” the younger one admitted slowly. “With a lot of various things... But I´m not hurt, Jin, so calm down, please.”

The older one kept repaying the pleading look for a while, before he was willing to admit that Kame was telling him the truth.

“All right...” he nodded slowly.

“Jin... What Grenet told you before? About me?” it was Kame asking the question now.

If possible, Jin started to feel even hotter than before. He didn´t want to discuss the disgusting shit that bastard was letting out his dirty mouth.

“Garbage stuff... I just don´t want him to ever touch you again...” Jin huffed out, before he slid down onto the bed again.

*

Kame noted how Jin avoided his look, suddenly strangely nervous. He could clearly imagine what bullshit Grenet might have talked about in front of the other one; what surprised him was how huge volume of emotions it awoke in Jin. The guy got totally upset, more than he would expect from him in this state. And his heart jumped crazily against his will at that expression Jin had, when he was making sure he was not hurt.

“Try to sleep a little...” Kame said, deciding that they could leave the topic for later. “When Liwan comes back, we will move you away from here. I don´t consider this house as safe...”

Jin´s eyes focused back on the younger one only now: “Sorry that I´m so many troubles...”

Seeing those regretful eyes and hearing that apologetic voice was unbearable. Kame raised one of his hands slowly, and caressed Jin´s face, careful because of the darkening bruises.

“You´re not a trouble for me, Jin...” he stated quietly.

For two more long seconds he remained in that position, so close to the older guy´s face, fighting back the urge to lean even closer... But he remembered too well, how this worked out the last time...

*

Jin could feel Kazuya´s breath and he was looking at his face wishing, that the younger one would overcome the remaining distance between them. But after that tense moment Kame straightened again, much faster than he moved before and the spell holding Jin´s breath was broken.

“Just call if you need anything...” he said, already on his feet, going into the kitchen.

Which Jin considered quite regretful, before sinking back into his personal fight with fever illusions.

***

 

Despite Liwan´s promise, the sun was already long on its way to the west, when a group of fast riding Indians finally emerged from the shadow of the forest. By that time, Kame´s anxiety reached its peak, as he kept checking the view from the kitchen´s window each two minutes. And Jin was not any better. His fever didn´t go higher, not yet at least, and he even fell asleep for a while, but he didn´t look well, not at all.

Liwan ran into the house apologizing many times. He caught up with the rest of the tribe on their departure and it took them longer to go back than he had expected. Kame was ready to leave right away, as well as Jin whom he dressed into some shirt and spare coat, which he took from his own closet.

It was decided that two youngest Indians would stay, make a skid and remove Jin up the mountains to the village, taking also Kuro with them.

Kame, Liwan and five more Indians were fully armed and prepared to set off to Bozeman. Kame asked Liwan to go for Ukushi, which was waiting in the back and returned to the bedroom for one last time.

“Jin?” he spoke gently, waiting for the dark sunken eyes to open and focus on him. “My friends are here, they will take care of you. You just have to hold on, all right?”

Jin had to gulp down, before he was able to speak: “I will... hold on. I still have to... kick Grenet´s ass...”

There was a woeful smile on Kame´s lips, when he reacted, touching Jin´s shoulder: “Right... See you soon...”

“Yeah... And Kazuya... Good luck.”

Kame nodded gratefully, straightened up and rushed out of the house, leaving Jin with his crazy imaginations behind.


	29. No justice

**T** he main street was flooded with dark orange colour of the setting sun, which peeked out behind the edge of the heavy clouds, like the last reminder of its presence at the sky before upcoming rainy day. The whining creak of the old hinges cut through the air, as Mr. Franko was just closing his shop. The citizens of Bozeman were on their way home or to the saloon, depending on how successful day they had.

Also Mr. Brice arrived to his house and was welcomed by the daughter, who sent a deeply worried look towards their neighbours’ house on the other side of the street, before closing the door behind her father.

Only Dr. Best just mounted his peaceful horse and set off on his usual evening tour across the residences, which were located farther from the city centre, to check on his patients, who couldn´t visit his clinic personally.

Math Grenet, who was standing on the veranda smoking probably the tenth cigarette of the day, followed the leaving old man with the scornful look. The doc happened to be quite annoying, when he wanted. He came to his office, looking for a patient, who didn´t come for the regular check.

_Who the hell he thinks I am? The watcher of all people in this boring town?_

It didn´t matter, that Best was more than right to go to the sheriff´s office directly. Now Grenet was really glad that he managed to keep his prisoner a secret in front of the old sheriff. That asshole could have screwed up everything within a blink of eye. As if he had not enough idiotic people around...

“Did you go blind?” he asked sharply, when the doctor´s figure disappeared behind the last house in the long row.

“No, we didn´t, boss,” there was a response next to him, where two of his stupid subordinates were shifting their feet nervously.

“Did your horses suddenly collapse to the ground?” he raised the second question.

“No, chief,” this time the tone was more hesitant.

“Did Kamenashi cave in some Hell hole?” he gritted through his teeth.

One of the men coughed suppressing the laugh.

“Probably not...”

“Are you retarded?!” Grenet snapped at them, so that they both made a step back and shook with their heads at the same time. “So, how comes that you lost him?!”

“He... He is smart, chief,” the older one started to blabber some excuses. “He left the lantern...”

“Are you serious?!” Grenet cut in. “Really?! He is just a fucking pretty boy! And what took you so long to get back here?!”

“But, chief...”

“Shut up and go to get me another beer!”

Both men tripped over each other, almost breaking their heads, which wouldn´t have been such a waste, as they rushed down the veranda and then towards the saloon.

“Fucking idiots...” Math relieved himself spitting over the railing.

He was not afraid that Kamenashi would not obey. His precious mother in mortal danger was more than enough to make the boy do exactly as he told him to. But still, he would feel better to go for that smart shithead Akanishi himself and drag him for that overgrown hair of his back to the farm.

Math doused the cigarette, intending to go inside and wait for those idiots to come back, when the gallop of some horse was heard on the end of street, getting closer. He checked on the rider and soon he recognized that dark guard Ned from the farm.

“What the hell are you doing here?” he asked him annoyed, in expectation of some new problem.

“Greetings, boss. I have a message for you, from Mr. Karnaka,” the incomer said, getting down the horse and handed him over the small piece of tough paper. “Change of orders...” he added.

Grenet skimmed through the short message and stared at it for a while, before an ugly smirk curved his face into the victorious expression of wicked goblin.

“You should report yourself on the farm then, as soon as you finish your task. That´s all,” Ned completed the information and jumped back onto his horse again. “And burn it, boss.”

“I´m not an idiot like all of you,” Grenet hissed, crumpling the paper into the small ball.

“Till next time, boss,” Ned nodded his head and turned his horse for the immediate way back. In a certain way Grenet understood, why Karnaka kept this dirty crossbreed in his service. He was capable and reliable, not like the others.

“Danny!!” he shouted out even before Ned´s horse got out of sight.

“Yes, chief?” there was a quite fast reaction.

“Bring the kerosene barrel to the jail. Then join those idiots in the saloon and you all stay there.”

The youngster in the door blinked confused: “Kerosene, chief?” he asked.

“Yes, are you deaf or what?” Grenet retorted. “The time has come to learn our pretty face, that he shouldn´t play with the fire...” the deputy laughed at own joke.

“But...” Danny spoke again, a little dumbfounded. “You gave him one day...”

Grenet turned and his eyes froze Danny on the spot. He moved forward, stopping right in front of him.

“Dannie... Do you see any daylight around here?”

The young boy gulped down heavily: “Well, a little, sir...”

Grenet leant his head down, staring into his eyes: “I don´t see any... So the day is already over, right?”

“Well, of course, sir, you´re right, sir...” Danny kept blabbering, his voice shaking a little. What appeared in the eyes of his superior at that moment would turn the knees of much tougher men into butter.

Grenet patted the youngster across his face roughly: “Good boy. Now go and fulfil my order.”

***

 

As they approached the city, they slowed down the pace of their horses, paying more attention to the surroundings. They had to be as inconspicuous as possible. If anyone spotted the Indians from Blackfeet Tribe around there, wandering without a reason, it would bring only the additional troubles to the ones they already had with the soldiers.

So they were carefully getting closer to Bozeman from the south, their movements covered by the woods, while Kame was discussing their strategy with his friend.

“Are you sure you want to wait for the nightfall?” Liwan asked.

“Yes,” Kame nodded. “It will be better when nobody sees you. The dark will come soon, so we will just wait nearby before we move.”

“Will your mother be safe like this?”

“Grenet said I have one day...” he replied frowning, not really sure about the trust he could put into the deputy´s word. “He shouldn´t harm her before my time runs out...”

“All right,” Liwan accepted his reasoning. “Do you remember, how many men were there?”

“I saw four at the front, two of them inside and...”

Kame´s words were interrupted by the sudden calling of one Indian riding behind them: “Hora! Otoke! Erka?”

Both Kame and Liwan stopped and turned their heads. A very young Indian, youngest of their group, and also with the keenest eyesight, was pointing at something what he saw between two trees, down in the city, as they happened to be at the small hill above it.

With a bad hunch, Kame incited Ukushi to move forward a little, so he could see what Indian meant.

The crimson orange of the sunset almost completely faded out already, but it looked like some part of it, the small hot spot was left behind in the city, like a forgotten beam. Kame´s eyes stared at it, refusing to understand what it was at first. It was not the sunshine´s leftover; the source of the playful light was something completely else. Something much more hideous...

“It´s a fire...” Liwan named what they saw down there.

Kame didn´t say a single word. He couldn´t be sure about it from this distance, but somehow he just knew. He knew it was their house on that place, where they spotted the dangerous flames. He didn´t think about anything, he just pulled Ukushi a little more roughly than usually to turn her to the side and forced her to run.

“Kame! Kame, wait!”

He didn´t hear either Liwan´s calling, or other Indians riding behind him. He just focused to ride forward, to the city, to their home, to his mother...

***

 

Kame made Ukushi to stop so suddenly, that the mare reared up to her back feet, almost throwing him out from the saddle, before getting down again. They both remained standing, for a few like-eternity-long seconds, breathing heavily. Kame stared wide-eyed at the disaster in front of him.

It looked that the whole city was on their feet. People were running around what was left from their house, throwing the buckets of water on the last few places where the fire kept itself steadily. There was an ugly hole in the row of houses, only the collapsed ruin of black wood and ashes and heavy smoke was left from it.

Kame couldn´t move, he couldn´t breathe or think. Their house was gone, burnt to the ground.

“Kamenashi! Thank God, you were not inside!”

His head turned after the voice on its own will, but it cost him a lot of efforts to start perceiving the person too. It was Mr. Harada, his face black from the ashes, rushing towards him.

“We tried, but the flames were too strong, I´m sorry...” Harada breathed out with the obvious difficulties.

Kazuya slide down the saddle, he made two steps dividing him from his employer and caught him for the shoulders, surprising Harada with his speed.

“My mother...!” he forced the words to go through the narrow throat. “Where is my mother?”

“Oh, I´m really sorry, Kame... She is on the clinic now, but...”

“But? But what?!” Kame snapped desperately.

“She was inside, when the fire started,” Harada said heavily. “It doesn´t look well...”

Kame stared at the man, trying to push the meaning of this information away. How could he accept that his mother... His dearest Mum... No, this couldn´t be happening...

Mr. Harada was watching him pitifully and worried, when Kame let his hands go down and remain alongside his hips. It felt like the whole world started to collapse around him.

 _I was here on time, wasn´t I? My time hasn´t run out yet. Grenet said... Grenet said..._ despite that Kame felt strangely hot, his hands started to freeze, as he realized the cruel truth.

What the given word meant for a man like Grenet? Nothing more than a piece of dust on his shoes… How could he think even for a minute, that man would keep it and let him have the whole day?

“Kamenashi, come with me to the clinic. There´s nothing you can do here....” Harada was talking to him in the calming tone, taking Kame for an arm and exhausted Ukushi for the reins with his other hand.

When Harada turned him, Kame spotted the dark figures of his Indian friends at the edge of a small side street. The only thing he was able to do was to shake with his head from one side to another firmly, hoping that they would be reasonable enough to stay out of the sight. He knew that at least Liwan would understand...

He let the older man lead the way towards Dr. Best´s clinic, which almost all windows were sending the light outside. When they got closer, Kame recognized the whole Brice´s family on the veranda.

Mr. Brice was walking from one side to another with the deadly serious expression, while his wife was sitting on the bench, tears in her eyes and hugging Lena tightly around her shoulders. The girl looked as if she had tried to stuff herself into the chimney, her dress as well as face completely black from the ashes. Seeing the girl got Kame out from the first shock.

“Kamenashi! Here you are!” Mr. Brice spotted him first.

He stepped up to them, while Harada remained on the street, trying to calm down nervous and foundered Ukushi.

“Mr. Brice,” Kame nodded his head absently. “Lena... Are you all right?”

The blonde one raised her tearful eyes to him: “Oh, Kame, I´m so sorry...” she said on a hoarse voice. “So sorry... I couldn´t...sooner...”

“Ssh, dear, you did everything you could,” her mother started to soothe the completely dishevelled hair of the girl. Only then Kame noticed that they were partially burnt, the usual braid gone.

“What happened?” Kame asked convulsively, feeling his hands shaking.

Mr. Brice was the one who remained the calmest, so he replied.

“My daughter saw that bastard Grenet dragging your mother into the house...” he said with the obvious anger. “She also saw he was carrying the kerosene barrel, so she ran for Sheriff right away. He tried to stop that man, he really tried, Kamenashi...”

“But Grenet...” Lena sobbed. “He hit him over the head, so hard, just like this... And I... I was scared, I was hidden and then, then the house was in flames already and Grenet was laughing outside and... He went away... I couldn´t leave your mother there... I couldn´t! So I went there by the back door, but... But... I was too late... Too late...”

“Ssh, honey, ssh...” despite comforting the girl, her mother was crying even more than Lena.

“You were very brave, dear...” Mr. Brice said, but it was quite visible how much he disagreed with what she did. “But it was dangerous...”

Lena just cried quietly, her whole body shaking with sobs.

“I went there too,” Mr. Brice continued instead of her. “We found your mother in the bedroom... We... We threw some blanket over her and managed to pull her out. It was in the last second...” Lena´s father started to cough heavily, not able to continue talking.

“So, you both... I...” Kame didn´t know what to say.

They wanted to save his mother despite they could have so easily ended in the same way, if Grenet had spotted them. Kame was looking at the shocked girl as if he saw her for the first time. She was breathing with difficulties, but otherwise she seemed unharmed. He would never expect from her to be so determined...

Then the door opened and doctor Best went out, his face red, with sweat all over on his forehead.

“Lena, here, drink this. It will help you,” he gave the girl some medicine. “Mr. Brice, do you need some too?”

“No, thanks, doctor,” the man shook his head, already winning over the attack of coughing. “I´m fine.”

“Dr. Best!” Kame blurted out. “My mother! How...?!”

“Kamenashi,” the doctor interrupted him firmly. “I just got back here and I already have three seriously injured patients. Your mother is in a very bad condition.”

“But... But... Will she...” Kame was lacking the air for his lungs.

“I will do my best to help her,” Dr. Best assured him. “I will call you if necessary. Now let me do my job.”

The door closed again, leaving Kame to stare at it as it could give him more answers. Then he looked at Lena again, who was letting the medicine do its job with her eyes closed, at Mrs. Brice, who was holding her hand still crying and at Mr. Brice who repaid his serious glance. In the end Kame turned to Mr. Harada, who was still standing under the veranda, with the worried expression and his eyebrows knitted together.

“Where is _that man_?”

Kame couldn´t recognize own voice, which raised the question, so it was no wonder that everybody´s eyes focused at him. Harada tied the mare´s reins to the rail and approached him slowly.

“Kamenashi, don´t do anything stupid. You know how it works, he...”

“ _Where_ is he?” Kame just repeated the question, making Harada frown even more.

“Listen, Kame...” the old man started, but he was interrupted by the emotional voice of the young girl.

“I bet he is in the saloon.”

Kame turned his head to look at Lena again, whose eyes were opened and she was firmly repaying his glance.

“Will you go there?” she asked, her voice still hoarse, and cheeks wet from tears, but the look steady and with the hateful fire in it.

Kame nodded.

“I´ll go with you,” the girl stood up, breaking out from her mother´s hold.

“Lena!” her mother gasped for breath, jumping up. “You can´t!”

“Let me go, Mum!” the blonde one exclaimed furiously, stepping away from her. Then she looked at her father. “I´m going with Kame,” she repeated stubbornly.

Mr. Brice didn´t say anything. Kame already jumped down from the veranda.

“Kamenashi, think about this!” Harada tried to stop him, taking his arm again.

“I don´t want to think right now, Mr. Harada,” Kame replied on a voice unbreakable as the stone, brushed his hand away and with the steady steps he headed across the street.

“Lena! Dear, stop her!” Lena´s mother cried desperately, when the girl took her skirts into the hands running after Kame. But Mr. Brice didn´t move, he just watched both young people going straight towards the saloon with no hesitation.

“Oh, my dear God...” Harada murmured and rushed after them.

“Dear...” the woman tried to make her husband do something one more time.

Mr. Brice took his wife´s hand, clenching it.

“We are going too...” he said firmly.

The woman stared at him dumbfounded at first, but then she nodded and they both followed their daughter...

*

 

The excited conversation from the saloon could be heard along the whole main street. Mainly thanks to the fact, that Grenet and his men settled themselves right on the spacious veranda and were drinking their beers there, while the taproom was almost completely full of thirsty citizens, who gave their best to put down the fire, which meant a threat to other houses too. Fortunately, they managed to do it, so now they enjoyed their reward, given out by Miss McBain and their discussion concerned the recent events.

Nobody knew what actually happened, everybody thought it was an accident, in which a sick woman caused a fire in the kitchen and was not able to escape. As for the sheriff, Grenet supported the version that he was injured by the falling beam, when he was helping to fight the fire, together with his men. The locals prayed for Mrs. Kamenashi and Sheriff quietly, waiting for any news from the clinic.

And right into this atmosphere Kame was marching with the fear for his mother´s life and furious anger in his heart. Grenet and his men spotted him, when he was only twenty steps from the saloon. He noticed the awful satisfied smirk on the deputy´s face, which he gave him and that was over the edge of Kame´s self-control.

Without any thinking he grabbed his revolver, pulling it out. He stopped ten steps from the veranda, aimed at Grenet, whose eyes widened in surprise; a few of his men shouted warningly and then Kame pulled the trigger. The deafening gunshot shut all ongoing conversations, making the honourable citizens to jump up from their chairs.

But Grenet was still standing there, leaning over the railing, beer in his hand and repaying Kamenashi´s lethal look. At first he got shocked by how fast that boy attacked him, with the obvious attempt to kill him on the spot, but now he was really amused.

Who would say that it would be that little whore saving his life? She obviously had her saviour day...

Because it really was Lena, who managed to catch up with Kame in the last second and she grabbed his hand, pushing it down, so that the shot went directly into the muddy ground. Otherwise he would not have missed Grenet´s head...

Kame was gritting his teeth, frozen in this position, Lena hanging with all her fly-weight on him.

“Kame, don´t do this, please! He´s not worth of you going to jail!” she urged on him desperately.

He heard her, but he didn´t listen. He perceived only that awful grin of the man, who was targeted on the complete destruction of his life.

“Take him inside!” Grenet ordered his men, obviously having fun. “It seems that we will have an interesting conversation.”

“Kame...” Lena spoke again, as the gunmen approached them carefully, while Grenet already went into the taproom. “Give it to me...”

She put her palm across the gun. Having Grenet out of his sight, Kame was able to look at her. The pleading eyes made him to shake that red thing covering his mind a little and he released his grip around the revolver. Four Grenet´s men surrounded them, with weapons in their hands, but Kame didn´t care about them and just moved towards the saloon.

“Give me that gun,” one of gunmen requested with the hand raised towards Lena.

“Don´t think I cannot use this thing too,” the girl hissed at him surprisingly rebellious.

“He just tried to shoot the sheriff´s deputy,” the man snorted, pointing at Kame.

“Exactly, he did, not me,” Lena retorted. “I have a right to keep it.”

“Forget it, girl and give it to me,” Grenet´s subordinate grabbed her for an arm.

Just before Kame could break his bones for that, as he would definitely be able to in his current mood, the older man slipped between other two gunmen.

“Don´t you dare to touch my daughter!” he snapped at the man, pushing him away.

Grenet´s caper was so baffled from this non-scared attitude that he just stared at Lena´s father, as he took the revolver from her hand gently.

“I will take it, honey,” he said in a completely different tone.

The gunmen looked at each other somehow confused, before they just shrugged and two of them approached Kame to get him inside.

“Hands off!” he hissed so threateningly, that they moved from his way without objections.

Kame headed to the entrance on his own will, with Lena right in his tracks, while husbands Brices followed them as well as Mr. Harada, who was already waiting next to the swinging door.

The taproom was brightly alighted, full of smoke from cigarettes and guests, who just removed their glances from Grenet sitting at one of the tables to Kame, who went in. When young Kamenashi stopped in front of smoking and obviously drunk Grenet, and his gunmen started to occupy both exits, four farmers from the corner stood up from the table with the clear intention to disappear from the saloon, and it seemed they would be followed by others, too. But Grenet was not that drunk not to notice that.

“No need to run away, my fellow citizens,” he stated loudly. “I think it will be better we have some witnesses here...”

The farmers stopped and after some whispering returned to their beers.

“Good,” Grenet stated with a satisfied smile. “We can solve our issue peacefully, right, Kamenashi? Even though you just tried to shoot me down out there, didn´t you?”

Kame felt that his whole body was shaking in irrepressible anger. How could that monster behave like this in front of everyone?

He moved forward, grabbing the man´s collar into his hand.

“And I would do it, you bastard,” he snapped right into his face.

“You should have kept your part of the deal, baby boy,” there was a response, so quiet that only Kame could hear it. “I don´t see that fucker anywhere.”

After that Grenet pushed Kame away, so roughly that he staggered heavily.

“You tried to kill me, Kamenashi, what will you say on that?!” the deputy blamed him.

“You burnt our house down, Grenet!” Kame gritted through his teeth, repaying with own accusation.

“Oh, really?” the deputy raised his eyebrows, taking the tankard into his free hand, as if he just started a conversation with a friend.

“Wait a minute, boy,” Mr. Franko involved pompously. “How can you tell? It was probably an accident. You mother...”

“It was not an accident!” Lena didn´t let that man talk anymore, as she shouted angrily, standing right beside Kame.

Grenet grinned, keeping his calculating look at Lena for a while.

“Well, you and your _girlfriend_ accused me from the arson here, Kamenashi. Do you have any proof? You should have one to talk like this, don´t you?”

The murmur of agreement went through the taproom. Kame clenched his hands into the fists, forcing himself to stay on the spot, otherwise he would have jumped and strangled that human trash to the death.

“That´s right!” one farmer in the corner exclaimed. “You cannot accuse somebody like this!”

“He is our deputy!” another voice joined the first. “Why would he do that?”

Grenet smiled as if he was just given the best Christmas present ever.

“See?” he raised an eyebrow mockingly.

“We don´t need a proof!” Lena snapped. “I saw you, Grenet! I saw you dragging Kame´s mother into the house with the barrel of kerosene in your hand!”

Grenet blinked and stared at her.

“Are you sure?” he prolonged his question in a way, which made Kame feel sick.

“Yes!!” the girl confirmed furiously, ignoring the threat in the evil eyes.

“Anyone else saw me in this incriminating situation, citizens?” Grenet asked and looked around the suddenly very silent taproom. “Anyone? No? Well...” he returned his look to those two in front of him. “Then this is my word against yours, girl.”

“I believe my daughter,” Mr. Brice was the one to step forward and covered his daughter partially with own body. “I accuse you from this crime too.”

“Me too,” the woman´s voice, Lena´s mother, was much more quiet, but not less decisive.

Grenet snorted.

“Of course, you are her parents, I would be amazed if you didn´t,” he laughed shortly, but there was no reaction on that from the other people around, which he kind of expected.

“I believe her too,” Mr. Harada made two steps and stood even closer to Grenet than Kame himself. “You are an arsonist, Grenet, and probably also a murderer.”

Grenet was not grinning anymore. He started sending the lethal stares at those five idiots in front of him. What did they expect from this?

“Oh, that´s already five of you. I´m so impressed.”

“Make it six,” Miss McBain joined their little group inside the circle of Grenet´s men.

Excited murmur went through the room, as the citizens discussed this new development, remembering many opportunities, when Grenet did something what they didn´t like.

Grenet put his beer aside more loudly than he intended. What was this? A rebellion?

“Seven!” breathless Mike appeared like out of the blue and stood himself in front of Kame, defiantly raising his head towards the deputy.

Grenet´s men were standing around with the guns in hands, but they obviously didn´t know what to do with them. They were looking at each other, and then on their boss, who was not saying anything, just his face was darker and angrier with each second.

Kame was touched. Despite he was still fully focused at the man in front of him, he realized what courage required opposing Grenet, to express their support on his side. At the moment he didn´t think about what it could bring later, the troubles for those good people, right now he just appreciated that he had this kind of friends, even in this city, where he didn´t believe they were anymore.

The talks around were louder each minute, all presents were so focused on the situation, that nobody noticed the neighing of horses outside, or the heavy steps on the saloon´s veranda.

“Congrats, Kamenashi, you made the fools of them, too!” Grenet spitted out. “So, what are you going to do with your stupid accusation, people?! You cannot arrest me!”

A sudden thick silence fell onto the room, as everyone or most of them realized what Grenet´s words probably meant. He didn´t confess, but his reaction was quite clear evidence of that Kamenashi might be telling the truth. And into this silence, a new voice cut in - firm, serious and calm.

“These people may have no authorization for it, but I´m quite sure, that I have, Mr. Grenet. I _can_ arrest you.”


	30. High price

**A** ll eyes focused at the impressive figure standing in the saloon´s entrance. It was a tall man in beautiful uniform, of quite an old age, as the wrinkles already turned his face into the expression of someone, who had experienced through a lot of difficult life situations. But it didn´t lessen the impression which was radiating from the man and from his eyes, which had already saw too much of death, but were firm as the rock. And those eyes paid a great attention to Math Grenet.

Only after Kame tore his eyes off that unexpected newcomer, he noticed also other men in uniforms. Four government soldiers were standing behind their leader and also Captain Walker just went inside the taproom. Not to mention that the shocked stares, which the saloons´ guests were sending out through the windows, gasping for a breath, indicated much more companions of that compelling man. According to the sounds, which finally got to Kame´s ears, there had to be at least a battalion of soldiers on horses.

“And who the hell are you, old man, that you´re so sure about your competencies here?” overconfident Grenet snapped.

Maybe if that bastard had a little less alcohol in his veins, and only _maybe_ then, he would have noticed that the man, to whom he talked so rudely, had not only a perfectly clean uniform, but there were also many insignias of his position. The most obvious one – two silver stars on his shoulder strap – revealed to everyone that the man was Major General.

When Kame asked Lena for sending a message to the nearest military base, he had only a faint hope that Walker would get back to Bozeman soon enough to stop Grenet from any more cruel actions, and he definitely didn´t expect such a high-ranked officer to come. The man´s appearance made a big impression on everybody in the saloon - on everybody except Grenet.

The military leader, very highly ranked in these somewhat ´peaceful´ times, moved forward slowly and the people left him to go through immediately. Even Grenet´s capers moved away. Only the brave group around Kame remained standing as the man approached the upset deputy.

“I believe you´re talking to Major General Ord of United States Army, young man,” he introduced himself.

“And that´s supposed to be an honour for me, I guess,” Grenet snorted.

“Depends on you,” General stated calmly. “But I definitely require some respect to me as a human. But as I heard and now as I can see myself, you do not respect anyone and anything at all.”

Grenet´s face started to fill with blood, making it completely red till both ears.

“How dare you...!”

“I dare, believe me...” the other man interrupted him sharply. “Can anyone tell me from what this man is accused?”

“The arson,” Lena replied to General seriously. “He burnt down the house belonging to Kamenashi´s family. Mrs. Kamenashi was badly hurt. He also attacked our Sheriff, hit him over the head. They are both taken care of by our doctor right now.”

The cold eyes focused at the girl: “Any witnesses?”

“Myself, Major General,” Lena stated with determination, despite Grenet was killing her with his glance.

“So, you´re the one, who sent that telegram, right?” General assumed.

“Yes, sir,” the girl nodded and Kame reminded himself to thank her a lot for that.

“And to that arson you can add the murder, General, if you don´t mind,” another voice joined the conversation.

Kame´s heart skipped a beat seeing the doctor in the door.

“What do you mean by that, Doctor?” Captain Walker asked.

“Our Sheriff just passed away,” Dr. Best informed the full taproom. “Unfortunately, the hit was too hard, I couldn´t help him.”

“I see...” General nodded seriously, turning back to the erupting man. “Math Grenet, by this, based on the power given to me, I deprive you from the title of Sheriff´s Deputy and put you under arrest for arson and murder. Disarm him and take him away.”

“What the fuck?! You can´t do this!” Grenet burst out.

“I can,” General reacted just with two ice-cold words, while his soldiers approached Grenet.

None of the gunmen around moved, none of them dared to oppose the sudden dominance of soldiers. Captain Walker himself took away Grenet´s belt with two revolvers, which were more than familiar to Kame, as they rightfully belonged to Jin.

“Do you have any idea, who I am?!” the former deputy yelled, fighting against strong men furiously.

“Somebody who belongs on the gallows,” Mr. Brice was the only one who reacted.

Grenet had to be held by three soldiers, when they were taking him away; he was so angry and was resisting so much that they staggered on the way to the exit. Grenet´s totally pissed off eyes focused at Kame, as they came by him.

“I´m not done with you, baby boy!” Grenet sputtered. “Do _not_ forget that! You will regret...! You all will regret...!”

“Lieutenant,” General ordered to one of the remaining soldiers. “If he keeps making a noise like this, give him a gag.”

“Yes, sir!” the soldier saluted and left the saloon following his colleagues.

Kame accompanied the departure of the small group with his eyes, saying nothing at all. Lena was looking at his face worriedly, clenching his right arm with both hands again. She was probably afraid that he would try to do something stupid again.

“Now, I understand why you wanted to rush so much, Captain Walker,” Major General stated, after his soldiers took the raging man out. “Was he really the sheriff´s deputy?”

“Yes, sir,” Walker confirmed, coming closer to the group. “And he is also a subordinate of the certain man. I´m sure you´ve already heard about him - Raynold Karnaka.”

“Yes, I´ve been informed...” General frowned, for the first time changing his calm expression. “I´d like to visit his residence later too. But for now... Who is the owner of this saloon?”

“That would be me, Major General,” Mr. Harada stepped forward. “Harada, my name is. You have no idea how glad we are that finally some justice came into this city.”

The old leader nodded his head.

“Do you have any vacant rooms? I´d like to accommodate here.”

“Sure, sir, but I´m afraid that not for all of you...”

“Don´t worry, my men will remain in their tents outside, just me and Captain.”

“That´s all right then,” Harada nodded, not even trying to cover his relief.

“Everybody else, please calm down,” General looked around, paying his attention to the excited citizens as well. “Rest assure, we will settle the peace here.”

The excited response was followed by Mr. Harada´s statement: “One beer for everyone on the house! I think we all need it...”

In general clamour Dr. Best approached Kame putting the hand at his shoulder: “Come with me, Kamenashi, I think you should go to your mother...”

Kame´s breath squeezed in his throat again.

“Is she...?”

“She woke up...” the doctor answered on the unspoken question, but his face didn´t show anything optimistic...

*

 

Kazuya was sitting on the chair next to the bed, on which his beloved mother was resting, holding her left hand. It still looked the same way, as he had always known it. It was the hand, which could prepare the most delicious meals for him, which punished him, if he turned out to be too disobedient son and which also comforted him, when he was sick. The warm hand of a mother, who would sacrifice her life for him...

Though, it was supposed to be a pair of hands, not just one. But Rosie´s right hand was covered with the very thin layer of the bandage, as well as the whole arm, chest, stomach and leg under the blanket. Her grey hair was badly damaged too. Only the woman´s face remained almost untouched, and not being for the burnt eyelashes, it would still look the same as Kame saw it the last time. But it was not. His mother was far from being the same as only hours ago.

Kazuya was looking at the mother´s face with tears in his eyes, which he couldn´t suppress and he didn´t even try. He remembered the words of Dr. Best, which he told him before opening the door of this room. The words, which were stuck in his chest, that verdict of death, which ached in his heart and made him to feel totally helpless...

 

_“You need to know the truth, Kamenashi. Almost half of her body is badly burnt. She breathed in a lot of hot smoke, so it´s probable her lungs are damaged too. She is in shock right now, so she doesn´t feel much pain, but it will get worse.”_

_“But you can help her, right?” Kame asked, not able to stop his voice from shaking._

_Doctor looked at him with a very serious expression: “Kamenashi...”_

_“You can do something to make her feel better, don´t you?” he insisted on his request._

_“The damage is too extensive; I can ease her pain up, but...”_

_Kame stared at him still in disbelief, when the doctor continued._

_“Gradually, her organs will stop working. Your mother´s body is poisoned with those burns. I´m really sorry, but I cannot do much for her.”_

_“But... But...”_

_Kame´s world was collapsing again. Was it a punishment? What so much bad in the world did he do deserve this?_

_“Doctor... What can I...? Can I... something? Anything??”_

_“I know it´s hard,” Dr. Best said, placing one hand on Kame´s shoulder. “You can stay by her side. First time she woke up, she asked for you. She needs to see you, Kamenashi.”_

 

So he was here, at this bed, holding the beloved hand, which was motionless in his grip.

His mother´s breathing sounded awfully. Creaky, shallow and difficult, but she was still strong enough to open her eyes, when she finally noticed somebody came in and caught her undamaged hand.

Rosie blinked a few times, as if the weak lantern´s light was burning her eyes too.

“Kazuya...”

Kame almost started to cry aloud, when a weak smile appeared on her red lips.

“Mum...” he raised her hand up carefully, kissing the back of it softly. “I´m so sorry... I didn´t come back in time... This is my fault.... I....”

“Honey... Wait... I want to...”

“Mother, you shouldn´t talk, just...”

“No,” she interrupted her son, squeezing his hand back with surprising power. “Listen to me, Kazuya.”

Kame saw the desperate shining in the mother´s eyes and with a heavy heart he just nodded.

“You didn´t bring... your friend to _him_... Did you?” she asked urgently.

His heart sunk so deep down that it felt like it disappeared somewhere in the floor.

“No,” he whispered. “I... I just couldn´t... I wanted to...”

“That´s good...” Rosie breathed out in relief, which surprised Kame so much it made him to go silent again. “I´m happy... you didn´t. I raised you... well.”

“Mum... I wanted to save you both...” the silent tears were already flowing down Kame´s cheeks.

“I know,” Rosie assured him. “I know... But he is safe, right?”

“Yes,” there was nothing else he could say to her at the moment. He couldn´t tell her in how bad state Jin actually was.

“Good... Somehow, I´m glad you have him...” Rosie closed her eyes for a moment, before opening them again and focusing at her son´s face. “You will not be... alone.”

Some huge strange thing appeared in Kame´s throat, which didn´t allow him to react.

“Beware of Grenet,” his mother managed to get through the weakening throat. “He is... He is...”

“He was arrested for now, Mum... Don´t worry about it, all right?”

And again, there was that weak smile, which stabbed Kame´s chest like a dagger.

“All right... But... But, Kazuya... I know you... And... if you have a chance for...revenge...”

“Mum...” Kame got really scared as the woman´s voice appeared to be worse with each word.

“Let me talk, son,” the woman insisted, still with a bit of strict parental attitude, which had always made him to obey. “If there is a chance... Avenge our family... Your father, brothers and me... But...” she took a deep breath. “Do not let it consume you... Do you understand? Revenging us... That is not more important than...” Rosie´s speech was disturbed by the attack of wheezy coughing, during which Kame could only keep holding her hand and waited for the rest of what his mother wanted to say. “Your life is more important, Kazuya... Do not let them destroy it...”

“Mum...” Kame let go of her hand and went down on his knees, so that he could bury his head to the mother´s shoulder. “They already did...” he stated desperately.

His mother moved with her hand slowly and stroked his hair softly.

“No...” Rosie said. “No, there is happiness for you, Kazuya... I know it... I want you to live...and be happy...”

“Mum...” Kame almost choked on the word, fighting against the sobs in his chest.

“Promise me... Promise me that....”

His mother stopped talking again and only the wheezing started to go through her throat. Kame´s head plopped up, staring at her face contorted in pain. He jumped on his feet, ran to the door and opened them so roughly that he almost destroyed its hinges.

“Doctor! Doctor, my mother!” he called desperately, still foolishly hoping there was something what could be done. Anything, just to keep his dear mother by his side...

***

 

The heaven was crying. The tiny drops were making the air damp and heavy, while the bigger ones, interlacing the drizzling curtain, were falling all the way down, soaking into the ground, and also into the pile of soil ran up next to the black hole.

It was like the emptiness of that pit wanted to drag his soul inside, consume him and steal him from breath, to stop his heartbeat. He couldn´t even perceive a warm touch of the gentle hand or a voice of the old priest from the church in Livingstone.

Except himself, Lena, her parents, Mr. Harada and Dr. Best, there were many other people who gathered to give their last respect and goodbye to his mother. Not more than for their old sheriff´s funeral, that took place only a few minutes ago, but still a lot of Bozeman citizens. But despite that Kazuya was alone and lost among them.

He was just standing there motionless, watching as the priest blessed the simple wooden coffin, as they dropped it into that scary hole and as the citizens and friends were approaching it, throwing the handful of wet soil down. Each portion of that ugly mud created a hollow sound from the fall on the wooden surface - many sounds, which pierced right through Kame´s heart.

One after another the mourners, whose faces he didn´t see, left, leaving him at the fresh grave alone, with the Brice´s family behind his back.

“Kame? Would you like to go with us?” the girl´s voice reached to him, but the words had no meaning. “We can have a cup of tea or something...”

Kame had to take a deep shaky breath to be able of some reaction.

“I would like to stay for a while. Alone.”

That voice was horrible. Was it really him who said that?

Lena´s face was the picture of sorrow and pity, but she didn´t try to persuade him. She released her grip around his hand and stepped aside.

“All right... Just come later, we will wait for you...”

The small steps moved around him and further away. The girl and her parents left.

Kazuya stepped a little closer, and crouched down, keeping his eyes on the coffin in the hole. He knew this was the reality, which somehow turned out to be his worst nightmare in life, but still... It was almost impossible to accept it. He didn´t know how to do it, how should he handled that his mother was not around anymore? How could he keep going all by himself?

_I want you to live...and be happy..._

Kame´s eyes went wide. He heard it as if his mother´s voice echoed right into his ear, so clear the memory of her words was.

_You will not be...alone._

Kame had to suppress an incredible urge to cry, when he remembered another part of his mother´s goodbye. She was glad that there would be somebody else in his life - Jin. And the guy needed him right now. Suddenly, Kame was so sure about it, as about nothing else.

“I love you, Mum... Let´s meet again one day,” he whispered into the increasing rain and got up on his feet.

It was time to go, time to leave the place of the last rest... It was too soon for him to remain on the graveyard and there was nothing holding him in this city anymore...

*

 

Lena opened the door almost at the second he knocked at the wood.

“Come in, I´ve already...” she stopped her warm invitation, looking at Kame´s outfit and then at Ukushi standing below their veranda.

The girl closed her mouth, staring into the raining for a while, saying nothing. And Kame didn´t know what to say neither. The blue eyes returned to his face finally, with the deep sadness in them.

“Where will you go?” Lena asked him quietly.

“To Blackfeet Tribe...” Kame reacted, avoiding the girl´s pleading look. He had no power to deal with her feelings right now. Even though he felt a little badly leaving her behind like this, she had her parents and Grenet was sitting in jail, so he believed Lena would be all right.

“You can stay here, you know?” she suggested, making one more step forward, coming closer to him and reaching out her hand. “I´m sure my parents will not be against it, and I...”

“Lena,” Kame interrupted her firmly and unconsciously stepped back, out of her reach. “I´m grateful, really. Thank you, but I can´t stay here. There is a place I need to be.”

The blonde one retreated back to the door, sad, but somehow reconciled with his decision.

“I understand... Will you come back?” she couldn´t help but ask.

Kame took a deep breath and nodded slowly: “Yes, I think so... Not too soon, but I will.”

“All right...” it sounded more like a suppressed sob than a word. “I will miss you...”

“I will miss you too, Lena. But we will see each other again.”

The girl moved again and Kame didn´t step away from her this time, letting her hug him tightly. When she released her grip, he caught her face gently and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

“Thank you for what you did for my mother. I will never forget.”

The dark blush covered the girl´s cheekbones.

“If only I made it on time...” she whispered gloomily. “But don´t make this sound as a final goodbye, all right?” she taunted him after that. “You just said you´ll come back!”

“But you must not cry then...” Kame reacted.

“I´m not crying,” Lena murmured, blinking fast, but she couldn´t cover the shine of tears in her eyes.

At that moment Kame realized that he would really miss the girl, it was not just a phrase to say for him. But that feeling, which was forcing him to rush from the city appeared again, with a bigger urgency.

“I had no time to ask about it till now, but did you manage to get the stuff from the room, as I asked you for?”

“Oh, yes, sure,” Lena nodded. “I completely forgot about it. I hid it in my father´s shed.”

“Fine. Can we go for it right away?”

“Of course, just let me take the scarf...”

Kame had an urge to go there by himself, just to grab the things and leave right away, but he saw how unhappy Lena was about his leaving, so he sucked it up and decided to hold on for a while yet.

*

 

As soon as Ukushi was fully loaded with his and Jin´s stuff, Kame walked away from Bozeman City, leaving it behind along with the burnt, which was a horrible leftover of his former home. The cargo, which his dear mare carried, included even both revolvers, which Grenet appropriated for himself before. It was not very difficult to persuade Captain Walker to hand them over, even though Kame had to back out from a lot of curious questions. Fortunately, he had already gained Captain´s trust.

He didn´t get far and was already stopped by Liwan, who was waiting for him outside the city together with the rest of warriors, who came here because of the rescue mission, which failed sooner than it could even begin.

Kame asked them to stay nearby, but to avoid the soldiers if possible, so they remained out of sight, even though Liwan wasn´t exactly thrilled from leaving him in Bozeman alone. And now he was observing him with the deeply frowning look.

“Everything done?” he asked slowly then.

Kame nodded.

“And... Are you satisfied with... that ceremony?”

Kame stared at his friend for a while, before he realized that Liwan meant the funeral.

“Yeah... It´s all right, Liwan. My mother was a Christian.”

“Hmm, but later we can serve a ceremony for her too, if you want. I think that Chief will order it anyway.”

“We will solve this later. Will you help me with these things?”

“Sure,” the Indian nodded and took the huge leather bag from him. “But Kame, are you sure you want to leave so soon?”

Kame avoided his eyes this time, focusing on fastening the strips on Ukushi´s saddle.

“There is nothing for me here...”

Liwan handed the bag over to another Indian, and then came closer to him, putting a hand on his shoulder and making Kame to look at him.

“I understand and I am glad you go with us again. But you have to rest as soon as we arrive to the village, all right?”

“Rest?” Kame repeated somehow confused.

Liwan looked into his eyes seriously.

“When was the last time you slept?” he asked.

Kame hesitated. After that incident with Sioux rebels, Jin was in troubles. After he managed to get him out of the farm, they rode the whole night to get him to the old house of his family. Then there was Grenet and the fire and his mother... How many nights was it? Three? Four?

“Well... I don´t remember...” he murmured not very willingly.

“That is what I talk about,” Liwan frowned and squeezed his shoulder. “You should see yourself... Be careful not to fall down from Ukushi.”

Kame just nodded, too tired to argue with him about not being a little kid anymore. Especially when deep inside he knew that he couldn´t handle much more before his body and mind would simply give up...

***

 

“What the hell?!!” Brad exclaimed so that his voice resounded in the whole taproom and even reached the ears of kids playing catch-up on the street despite the annoying raining. “Repeat it once again!?”

The saloon´s owner stared at him, remaining absolutely calm, facing his angry outburst, and kept polishing the glasses, when he repeated the information: “Our former deputy was arrested by Major General Ord for the arson and murder. He is in jail at Sheriff´s Office, waiting for his trial.”

Brad kept opening and closing his mouth a few times, totally dumbfounded. What the hell happened in this godforsaken hole while he was gone?

“And being on your place, I keep my mouth shut, otherwise you can end up the same way very easily,” Harada stated, and stopped paying him an attention.

Brad was literally boiling in anger. He and Marty were trudging in the fucking woods, in the rain, in the wind, in the cold, day and night under the danger of redskins´ arrows, for more than a week, looking for some stupid Indian village and now when they finally got back, Grenet was sitting behind the bars?

He looked through the empty saloon again, spotting only one figure, half-lying, half-sitting behind the table in the corner. It was Danny. He marched to him, grabbing the guy for the collar and pulling him up roughly. The strong odour of beer got into his nostrils, when the youngster opened his eyes for a narrow cranny and spoke.

“Hellooou...B...rad... Youu´re...back!”

That stupid boy was drunk as hell.

“What the fuck are you doing here, asshole?! What happened here? Why is Grenet in jail?!”

“Trouubles...” Danny murmured.

“Did you report this to boss?!”

The other one´s eyes got wide suddenly.

“No! Not yet... I don´t wanna...”

“Get yourself together!” Brad let the guy go, so that he fell back into the chair. “I´m awaiting you outside in five minutes or I´ll teach you how to dance the alcohol out!”

“But... I don´t...”

“You´re coming with us! You will be the one to explain this to Karnaka!” Brad snapped and marched out of the saloon as an angry bull.

Harada followed him out with a quite gleeful smile, which he couldn´t and didn´t want to prevent. Finally, some justice was coming upon those bastards.

***

 

During the journey up to the mountains, Kame had fully realized why Liwan was worried about him so much. In the past days he didn´t really have time to take care of own rest. The events were just running forward crazily, dragging him with the flow and not letting him even take a normal breath, not speaking about sleeping or proper food.

But after the main source of his adrenaline vanished in the dark grave, the exhaustion caught up with his body. Gradually it was more difficult to remain seated in the saddle and not being for his mind tortured with fear for Jin, he would have probably fainted right after they set off. But his worries kept him painfully awake.

It had been more than a day since he saw the older one the last time. Now he wondered if there was a better way how to take care of the guy. Maybe they should have taken him into the city to Dr. Best, but at the time he couldn´t know that Grenet would be put aside with cuffs on his hands. And even without Grenet, there was still a danger that somebody from Karnaka´s subordinates would attack Jin.

So there was no other choice than try it in an Indian way. Not that Kame didn´t trust the old shaman, but Jin was in such a bad state...

Sinking in these thoughts, Kame followed Liwan´s lead through the woods towards the village, where they got in the late afternoon.

Behind the veil of light fog and drizzle the pueblo seemed abandoned at the first sight. Almost all wigwams except two were put down; everything easily movable was taken away and old fireplaces covered with the coniferous branches.

Only as they came closer, Kame recognized the white smoke coming from the tops of both standing Indian habitations and a very young boy sitting in front of one. As soon as the little Indian spotted their figures through the mist, he jumped on his feet running towards one of the warriors who were coming back to welcome him.

Liwan dismounted his stallion first, going straight towards the first wigwam, while Kame was going down more carefully, feeling his legs somehow not in control. He untied the strips, which were holding one of the bags to the saddle, put it down and then did the same with the wooden box. After that he spotted returning Liwan and he turned to face him.

“He is inside,” his friend pointed at the wigwam.

Kame gulped down heavily, seeing the frowning face of his friend.

“I will look for my father first. Wait there,” Liwan added, before he could ask anything and called for the young boy, who was sitting there before.

Kame made his feet to move forward and with the heavy heart he pulled the entrance made from the thick fur aside.

There was warmness and a lot of shadows inside and it took a while before Kame´s eyes accustomed enough to recognize the lying figure in the dim light of a small fire. He put the bag to the side of the wigwam and approached him, kneeling down to the guy, who was carefully wrapped into the layers of blankets and furs.

The visible bruises already got the purple blue colour, in the healing process, but Jin´s eyes were closed, the skin of his face shone unnaturally, his cheeks dark red and the hair on his forehand wet from the sweat. Kame´s heart sank deep into the dark depression, when he touched him and felt that Jin was still heated up by the high fever. Maybe even higher than the last time, when he was on Dr. Best clinic.

The other one didn´t react on Kame´s touch, his breathing was irregular and heavy. As Kame stared at that face, a horrible thought went through his mind. That he might lose Jin too. And that would be something what he simply couldn´t bear. He would have rather lain there himself, instead of him, but he just _could not_ lose him.

“Don´t you dare to leave me here alone, Jin...” the desperate and quiet words slipped out his shaking lips.


	31. Bonds

**F** or a while, or maybe for the whole eternity, the Time lost its meaning. Kazuya´s tired body and tortured mind had no more energy left to deal with the things like the running minutes, or even hours. There was just he, the throbbing pain in his chest, the steadily growing fear in his heart and a handsome gunslinger with scarily high fever.

Kame hadn´t realized, that he was fondling through Jin´s hair gently with his shaking hand; he had no idea if the time stopped or if it was still moving forward. He wasn´t able to pay the attention to his surroundings, until the fur entrance was moved again, letting the white light from the outside to get in and Liwan entered the wigwam, followed by another Indian, with the stretcher in their hands.

Their presence made him to look up and Liwan froze on the spot repaying Kame´s glance. He didn´t understand why, but from some reason the Indian´s face showed some hesitation and also worries. Liwan spoke to him slowly then, considering each word carefully.

“Father said to bring him,” he moved with his head towards the sick gunslinger.

“Where to?” Kame´s voice was shaky and he still couldn´t think properly; it was as if some dark blanket fell over his mind.

“Healing tent...” Liwan replied. “You can go with us,” he added on a calming tone, which Kame didn´t even notice.

He just nodded and got up on his feet. The Indians placed Jin onto the stretcher gently and taking it up both at the same time left the wigwam again, with pale Kame in their tracks. He followed them carrying oblivious Jin farther from the former pueblo, into the woods. He was going forward blindly, not thinking about anything and sinking into the gloomiest mood of his life. It was a small miracle that Kame was still able to order his feet to move on.

Soon the small group reached another Indian tent, which was built up at the small glade next to the bubbling streamlet. It was not any usual wigwam; it was a very special thing, which Indians used for healing the sick ones and for expelling the bad spirits from their bodies. It took a long time to prepare it properly, so that the cover didn´t let any warmness piled up inside to escape. The big fire was flickering next to this shelter and the old shaman was sitting there in the meditating position, waiting for them.

The man was already so old he could have been Liwan´s grandfather, but even though the colour of the shaman´s eyes faded into faint grey by all those years, their influence still pierced Kame through, when the Indian opened them and focused his glance directly at him. The Shaman raised his hand and with a short gesture invited Kame to go closer. Liwan and the other Indian put the scratcher down meanwhile and started to take off all those layers of blankets and clothes from Jin.

Kame approached the shaman hesitantly, not very willing to leave Jin off his sight. The old man stood up with the trappings in his long hair and necklace rattling to each other. Without any words, he placed both his surprisingly warm palms on Kame´s face. He trusted the man enough not to back off, so he just remained standing there, while Shaman studied his face for a few seconds. Neither of them said a word, but somehow Kame was sure that the old man saw that loss and pain in his eyes. Shaman´s face got darker, and then he let him go, stepping aside.

“Go back to the village,” he said to the other two sharply in his mother tongue. “But you stay, Kazuya.”

It was an order, which left no space for objections. As if Kame had any. He wanted to stay, by Jin´s side. Liwan´s expression was clearly showing that he would have rather stayed there too, but seeing his father´s strict look, he just gave the last glance to Kame, before turning and going away, following the other Indian back to the pueblo.

“Undress yourself,” Shaman said then.

Kame was a little surprised by the order, but before he could ask anything, Shaman stopped him, raising his open palm in the air: “No talking from now on.”

So Kame just nodded and started to strip the clothes of himself, which was hell of a job, with his hands quite weak all of the sudden. Meanwhile the Indian shaman started to move around lying Jin, who was almost naked, only in bandages and underpants, and he was humming a melody, which Kame heard only once in his life. It was when he was only a small boy and he was also treated like this...

He took the boots and his trousers off too, and even though he started to shake because of the cold air almost at once, he was waiting for next instructions. Shaman finished the third circle around Jin and stopped shaking with the special tambourine, which sound vibrated through the light mist lying on the glade. Then he indicated Kame to move with the older one.

He took a deep breath, leant down and grasped Jin from below for the arms. As gently as possible he dragged him backwards, right inside the small wigwam, which entrance Shaman opened, but otherwise he didn´t help him to move with the unconscious one.

The inside of the shelter was totally different from the outside. There were many stones heated up in the fire and put into three circles around a fireplace full of embers in the middle and the bear furs spread between.

Kame dropped motionless Jin at one of them and just from the pure instinct he sat down behind him, letting the other´s head rest in his lap. Shaman just gave him a short glance and nodded, continuing his humming again.

It took only a minute and Kame started to feel hot and dizzy. There was a mysterious odour in the air, as Shaman burnt some herbs in the carbons and the temperature inside the tent was at least thirty degrees higher than out of it.  The Indian kneeled down, placing his free palm on Jin´s forehead and closing his eyes. Kame just kept looking at that face, trying to keep his breathing steady, with both hands resting on Jin´s shoulders. There was nothing more he could do, only to be there for him.

Shaman opened his eyes again and pulled back.

“He was touched by Evil Spirit,” he said on a hoarse voice and got up to take the prepared liquid medicine from the stone pad close to the fireplace. “It is dragging him down into darkness and it won´t let him go back to us. So we must make that spirit to release him.”

From some reason the chills ran across Kame´s spine hearing the words. He was not overly superstitious, but Shaman was experienced enough to know what he was talking about. And there was nobody more evil around than Grenet...

“Make him to sit up,” Shaman asked him then.

Kame pulled Jin´s body up into the sitting position, supporting his back and feeling his skin even hotter than a few minutes ago. He was holding his head, while Shaman made the guy to drink the potion. When Kame let Jin lie down again, instead of humming the old healer started to sing, on a deep voice in the Indian language, calling for the judgement and mercy of Manitou.

The heavy atmosphere influenced Kame too. His vision got blurry and he felt as the drops of sweat were going down his skin. The singing echoed in his mind and his heart started to beat slower. But he kept holding Jin, his look attached on his face, until the cold hand touched him.

He couldn´t help but raise his head and look into the grey eyes.

“You were touched by the Evil Spirit too...” the deep voice said. “Not your body, as him, but your soul.”

Kame heard the words, but it was somehow difficult to get the meaning of them.

“Lie down,” Shaman said, his voice almost unrecognizable, but clear enough for Kame. “Next to him.”

Kame moved slowly as if he was dreaming, and obediently let his body rest right next to Jin, only further from the fireplace in the middle. As soon as his head touched the fur below, the heavy blanket covered his thinking completely. The guttural singing sounded subdued, the strange hum filled his mind. His eyelids closed themselves, he couldn´t prevent it even if he wanted to. The last thing he did consciously was that he moved with his left hand and found Jin´s. In the next moment his mind floated away into the dark dreamland...

***

 

**_There was darkness and pain and burning._ **

**_He was lost and hopeless, unable to move, tied up by the greedy tentacles of an invisible monster._ **

**_And then there was a voice - soft, pleading, familiar._ **

**_And then also a touch, which was caring and warm._ **

**_That touch made the darkness to withdraw a little and then a light appeared. The burning got tenser for a minute, before easing up._ **

**_He could breathe again, and then he saw that beautiful young man… With the brown hair, gentle lips and proud nose. The goldish eyes were looking at him, from the distance._ **

**_Kazuya..._ **

**_He was happy to see him, but something was not right. Kazuya was sad, very sad._ **

**_Jin wanted to go towards him, to hug him, to comfort him, but he couldn´t move yet._ **

**_And there was that darkness again, taking its space back and indulging also Kazuya in it._ **

**_No!_ **

**_He won´t let this to happen; he will fight that black bitch!_ **

**_But he was not strong enough, he was suffocating and he was so desperate from not being able to help and then..._ **

**_Then there was that touch again. He really felt it this time, on his right hand. It was the grip of Kazuya´s hand, he was sure about it. And it gave him the strength to keep fighting._ **

**_The blackness started to fade once again and there was the yellow shine and also Kazuya._ **

**_Only this time he was close, next to him, holding him, watching him with those eyes full of sorrow._ **

**_Jin squeezed his hand as much as he could, because he was just not able to move with any other part of his body. And then finally, the ugly darkness gave up and Jin felt as relieved as never in his life. Still squeezing the warm hand he fell into the dreamland, only this time it was full of light..._ **

***

 

The quiet cracking of embers and even quieter breathing of two sleeping young men were the only sounds disturbing the heavy silence inside the wigwam. The old shaman was sitting motionlessly on the opposite side of the fireplace. He was watching over it carefully, keeping up its hotness, as he was changing the stones around regularly and kept bringing the new embers from the outside fire. And he also kept an eye on both guys, who were not able to perceive their surroundings, lost deep in their subconscious.

They were breathing steadily now, after the long hours during which he almost stopped believing that Manitou would decide in favour of the sick youngster and the fever would cease away. But it did, in the end. Evil Spirit lost this fight. And as soon as the dangerous, almost purple colour started to fade away from the young Akanishi´s face, Kazuya´s sleep calmed down too.

Shaman was looking at them, letting himself wander in many thoughts and memories for a while. He noticed how Kame reached for the other´s hand, and how he didn´t let it go even for a second of that whole long time, when their invisible match with the darkness was going on. Then he also saw how the older one grasped the slim hand back. And at the moment Shaman also realized that both of them were breathing almost in the exactly same rhythm and he finally understood that strange expression his son Liwan had, when he was talking about those two.

There was something, what his young son and student saw, but he couldn´t understand it. Not many people could. The old Shaman had already experienced something similar during his long life. Only once and it was pitifully short, but he knew very well, what he was looking at, even though it was not anything tangible. A person with the closed mind and evil heart would be never able to see it.

It was that special bond between two persons, two soul mates, who were lucky enough to find each other. It was something indescribably precious.

Shaman felt it, saw it, and he also knew that those two did not realize it yet. He just hoped they would find out about it sooner than he did...

***

 

Jin didn´t know what made his brain to leave the comfortable unconsciousness and aim for the reality again. Actually, it was like he didn´t know anything at all for the first few moments. He just felt that he was resting on some place unknown to him, with absolutely no idea where that might be and how he got there. But he also felt safe. That was strange and it forced him to think more.

How can he feel comfortable, when he doesn´t even know where he is?

And then he realized that warm touch in his right palm. And he remembered.

Jin opened his eyes. It was not as difficult as before, it felt a little unnatural, but he could see without any problems. There was a very strange ceiling above him, made of some animal skins, very yellow, but dirty from smoke at the same time.

He felt hot and dizzy, but his head was surprisingly clear, so he doubted he felt like this because of the fever. There were still those itchy bandages all over his body and especially his back was awaking slowly in quite annoying aching, but otherwise... Otherwise he was actually shocked how well he felt. In comparison with what he felt the last time he was fully conscious, some numbness in his body and a horrible headache was nothing at all.

Then he turned his head to the side slowly and breathed out deeply in relief. He was a little afraid that he was only dreaming Kame´s presence out, but the guy was really there. Lying right next to him, his fingers placed in Jin´s right hand, with his eyes closed. The younger´s face was turned towards him, and his features were not at peace, but strangely contorted in the tense expression, but Jin never saw anyone more beautiful and more gladly. Kazuya was apparently alive and only this knowledge made him to feel even better.

Only then Jin also noticed that the guy was almost naked, as well as himself. But he didn´t feel any coldness, so it really had to be warm on that place. He couldn´t prevent his eyes from slipping lower, across Kame´s neck, slender shoulders, the chest with small nipples and flat abdomen... Kazuya was really very slim.

There was some movement and the wave of very cold air flooded Jin before it was cut off again. Jin looked up to the face of a very old Indian, who just entered the tent or whatever it was he was lying in. The man kneeled down and leant to him, looking into his eyes.

“How you feel?” the Indian asked by the strange accent. “Pain?”

Jin cleared his throat, so he could respond.

“A little...” his voice was hoarse from not using, but it wasn´t as weak as he remembered.

The Indian nodded and touched his forehead, then his temples and chin and both wrists. His fingers were cold and dry and obviously skilful. Jin guessed that this was the man Liwan was talking about - the old shaman, Liwan´s father.

“What about...Kazuya?” he asked fighting against the scratches in his throat. He had to be sure; it was strange that Kame was lying here with him.

The Indians eyes pierced him through, but Jin repaid the sharp glance firmly.

“Sleeping,” the short answer was. “Here. Drink this.”

The liquid in the mug, which Shaman placed to his lips lifting his head up, smelled quite ugly, but Jin knew Kame wouldn´t have left him in the hands of somebody not worth of trust, so he obediently drank all the content.

“Sleep,” the Indian said then.

“But I just...” ´woke up´ was what Jin wanted to say, but he already felt his eyelids closing again, suddenly heavy as stones.

_Oh, hell, what was in that potion?_

He didn´t want to go to that unconsciousness again. He wanted to...

“You need rest,” he just heard the strict Indian´s voice, before he got lost in the blackness.

***

 

Waking up from the forced, but so much needed sleep under the influence of special herbs made Kame to feel like having quite a hangover. Some ugly bells were ringing in his head; his mouth was dry as desert and it was difficult to open his eyes.

The wigwam was not so hot anymore, but the warmness was still there. He sat up and waited until the ground under him stopped swinging. Then he turned to the figure next to him, to the guy whose breathing he perceived since the second he woke up.

Kame observed Jin´s face for a long ten seconds, before he let himself relax a little. Except the bandages and bruises, Jin´s skin turned to its usual colour, there was no sign of sweat or redness. He was breathing slowly and regularly. The fever was gone. That was what Kame could see, but he needed assurance of the old shaman too.

The pile of his clothes was folded up near the exit, so he threw the trousers and coat on himself and sneaked out the wigwam as fast as possible, not to let any unnecessary coldness to get inside.

The mist was gone, but it was still raining. According to the dim light, Kame assumed the evening was close. Right next to the tent, on the same place as the old shaman before, Liwan was sitting, feeding up the fire. When Kame went out, he raised his head from the content of a small pot on the stone near the fire.

“It was about time, Sleepy Turtle,” he welcomed him with a friendly grin.

Kame approached the fire, buttoning up his coat hastily. It was cold as hell outside.

“What´s up with that nickname, I´ve not heard it from you for ages,” he murmured. “Moreover, I couldn´t sleep more than a few hours.”

“Few hours?” Liwan raised his eyebrows.

“Sure, we went in after noon, so...”

“After noon, that is true,” the Indian interrupted him. “But it was yesterday, my dear friend. You slept for the whole day and a lot more.”

Kame stopped folding his hands above the fire surprised: “So long? Why didn´t you...?”

“You needed to rest,” Liwan said firmly. “And now you need to eat,” he stated, giving him the full plate of hot meat with beans and small potatoes.

Only when Kame caught the attractive scent of the food in front of him, he realized his stomach was grumbling furiously asking for any food within his reach. He sat down next to Liwan, taking the plate from him gratefully, and he put the spoon into the mixture, but before he used it, he looked at the young Indian once again.

“What about Jin? How is he? He looks better...”

Liwan nodded, smiling at him encouragingly: “Father says he will be all right.”

Only after this statement Kame allowed himself to stop worrying and started to throw the delicious meal inside of him hungrily. Liwan was right, that he needed to get his energy back. Jin was going to need his help...

***

 

The first light of the next day awoke the lively movements and preparations in almost abandoned Indian pueblo, despite the morning air was chilly and the grass covered with the light rime. The sky got unusually clear, revealing the beautiful blue colour above the rests of clouds, but the more coldness fell onto the mountains, which were the natural protection of the village, and which peaks were already powdered by the first snow.

Kame was watching those few Indians left loading up everything, what could be used during the winter season, on their horses, leaving only one wigwam standing. And that was the place, which had the most of his attention. Wrapped in the warm poncho, he kept his focused look on the moveable part of Indian´s shelter. As soon as the shaman´s face appeared there, Kame left his spot at the tall tree, over which he was leaning till that moment.

Shaman walked to his horse, which was watched over by one of the Indian warriors, but even though he didn´t look in Kame´s direction, he just patted the animal and didn´t get on it yet.

“I did what I could for him,” the Indian said before Kame could even open his mouth. “But my tribe also needs me now.”

“I understand,” Kame reacted in Indian language. “I cannot thank you enough for saving his life, Cloud Dancing.”

“No...” Shaman shook his head. “It was Manitou, who decided he is not ready for the Eternal Hunting Grounds yet.”

“Yes, I know...” Kame admitted, knowing it would have been useless to argue with the man about it. “But not being for your skills, he wouldn´t have survived.”

Shaman turned to face the youngster directly with serious expression.

“Not only my hands dragged him out from the darkness, young Kamenashi. But also yours. He would not be here among the living without _you_.”

Kame stared at the old man surprised by his words.

“What do you mean?” he asked confused. “I didn´t do anything for him...”

A small smile curved Shaman´s lips, changing his serious face into a completely different man.

“The naivety of youth...” he stated, while seeming almost amused by Kame´s surprise. “You can believe me you have a big merit on saving his life, Kazuya.”

Kame stood there dumbfounded, while Shaman got up on his horse with a surprising ease considering his age, and looked down at him once again.

“My son will stay. He is skilful enough to ease up the healing process. And he can lead you to us later. You will be both welcomed at our fire.”

That was next shocking news for Kame. He didn´t expect Shaman being that nice towards Jin as he was a foreign White Skin.

“Don´t be so surprised,” another voice joined their conversation. It was slightly smirking Liwan. “Akanishi managed to make quite a name in our tribe already.”

Kame really didn´t know what to say on it.

“But for now,” Shaman spoke again, his tolerant smile already gone, hidden behind the wrinkles. “No riding, no heavy stuff, not much moving. His wounds need to heal properly.”

Kame nodded in understanding; he knew very well Jin had to be very careful.

“And one more thing...” the old man made a short pause. “I want you to know we will serve a ceremony for your mother, for the peace of her soul in the Hunting Grounds.”

Kame was once again hopeless about how to react, so he just lowered his head in the sign of gratitude.

Shaman parted with them by moving his right hand in the circle in front of him, and both Kame and Liwan repaid him the same. Then Indian incited his horse to move and together with him all remaining members of the Blackfeet Tribe set off towards the mountains.

Liwan touched Kame´s shoulder and made him to tear his eyes off the departing short line of riders and walkers.

“He is finally awake,” he said, when Kame focused on him. “And he was asking for you...”

Kame was relieved to hear the information, as Jin remained in the deep sleep all that time, not waking up even when they removed him from the healing tent here, back to the pueblo. But at the same time, the pinch of nervousness settled down in his stomach.

“Go,” Liwan nodded towards the last Indian shelter. “I will prepare some breakfast for us. Manitou knows we all need it,” and following his statement he left Kame standing there.

Kazuya took the water he had prepared before and some of the dried sticks covered by the simple shelter from the conifer branches first, before taking a deep breath and approaching the wigwam´s entrance...

*

 

Jin was wrapped in the layers of warm and very comfortable furs near the fireplace in the middle of the place very similar to the one in which he woke up before, only a lot bigger, and he was staring surprised at the stuff laid on the opposite side. There was one huge leather bag, two sacks with the stuff for sleeping under the open sky and also the wooden box of an unusual shape. It was something, what he definitely didn´t expect to see on this place - his belongings, which he had left in the room of Harada´s Saloon. Including even his two precious revolvers perched on the top of it – those which he had for lost forever since they remained on Karnaka´s farm…

The entrance of the Indian wigwam, which he had already assumed this shelter was, moved and stole his attention from the unexpected, but very pleasant surprise. The slim male figure in the tight leather trousers, high boots and dark blue poncho, which Jin had already seen once before, stepped inside with the load of wood in his arms.

The moveable part of the tent´s wall fell back on its place. The dark and yellow brown colour of two pairs of eyes met in the gold light created by the fire. They were looking not only at each other, but inside the other person, sinking deeply; full of pure joy just from being able to see the other one again.

Jin was the first one to smile, only a little, in the subconscious worries from the pain, which could be caused by the movement. But his lips or face didn´t protest even a little; his muscles were only a little tense. So he allowed his lips to move more widely, savouring this moment when he finally had a reason to smile.

There was a short hesitation on the other´s face, as he studied Jin for a while, before the serious expression eased up a little and Kazuya smiled at him too.

“Hi...” Jin said, his voice not on the usual strength, but at least recognizable.

“Hello, sleepyhead...” the younger one reacted softly, before breaking off the connection of their eyes and approaching the fire.

Kame put the sticks down on the rest of the wood, which was brought there before and added some of them on the fire, filling the air inside the wigwam by the cracking of too dry parts of them. He remained crouching close to it and looked at Jin again, who was watching him all that time.

“How do you feel?” he asked on a quiet voice, his smile already gone.

First Jin had to stop wondering about how nice it was to see those little flames mirroring in Kame´s eyes, before he was able to focus at his own condition.

His head still hurt, not so much as before, more like some distant drums were playing somewhere deep behind his temples. He was sitting with his shoulders low and back hunched, afraid of any sudden movement, as he felt the tension in long lines across the whole back and very unpleasant itching on many more places. And the muscles on his stomach were still protesting at him for the sitting position.

After a few moments of examining his body, he also realized that he was a little tired and thirsty as hell, and he needed to pee, which already felt quite urgent. But in general...

“Well...” he started slowly with a small grin, considering his words under the observing Kame´s look. “Except a few annoying feelings and urges surprisingly well.”

“Really?” Kame requested the assurance again.

Jin went into the serious mood then too.

“Really...” he confirmed. “Considering my...physical state.”

Kame repaid his glance for a while, before he moved again and sat down next to Jin on another bear fur.

“Here. Will you try yourself this time?” he was giving him a small flask, so far hanging on his elbow for a thin strip.

Jin stared at the water holder for a moment, before he pulled his right hand out from the hideout of blankets and reached for the flask, forcing himself not to think about it too much. His fingers gripped around it and he hold his breath. It was pinching a little, in all his finger tops covered with the thin bandages, but it was nothing unbearable. Kame was watching his face carefully, when he slowly released his own hold on the water and let it rest in Jin´s hand.

Jin breathed out deeply in relief. This small success, something so trifle, what he considered as matter of course before, it made him excited. When he was able to open the flask, bring it to his mouth and drink five long gulps of the cold water from it, without spilling even a single drop, he fully realized how much better he was. It felt like a miracle...

He put the water aside, but not too far, quite sure about he would drink soon again, and focused back on Kame, who was watching him silently and obviously relieved, but also somehow sad. And then Jin noticed something in those eyes in front of him. It was not the same look he saw the last time. There was a deep sorrow hidden in them; sorrow, which brought him a bad hunch. Something happened while he was out of his senses, he just knew.

“I don´t remember much... What was going on with me?” he asked.

“Your wounds became infected,” Kame replied. “You had a high fever, higher than before. But the shaman of Blackfeet Tribe helped you. He said you should be all right, the infection is gone. You just have to take it slow.”

“Well, I don´t think I feel like rushing anywhere...” Jin murmured. “But for how long I was out? How did it go in the city? What about your mother? Grenet? What...?” Jin couldn´t stop asking the questions, once he started, but the pain settling down in Kame´s features, made him almost choke on the next question. “Kame, what happened?”

The other one avoided his look suddenly, looking into the flames again.

“We don´t have to talk about it now, Jin. You just woke up; we have to get you together first and...”

That made Jin only to worry more and he interrupted Kame: “I _need_ to know.”

Kame remained silent for a while, before he started to talk on the slow and quiet voice: “We arrived there too late... Grenet set up a fire in our house, with my mother inside.”

Jin stiffened in horror. Oh, no...

“Lena and her father got her out, but it was...too late. Dr. Best did everything what he could, but... But she...”

Any good feelings inside Jin disappeared within a blink of an eye. It was like he was put under the ice cold waterfall. He couldn´t tear his eyes off Kazuya´s face, which was contorted in the heart breaking sadness and off his eyes, which were shining unnaturally with the suppressed tears. Feeling Jin´s stare, Kame lowered his head and closed his eyes.

“She suffered from quite extensive burns. She passed away two days ago...” he whispered on a broken tone.

The horrible information, which Jin feared, hit him hard, leaving him in a painful shock. Seeing Kame like this and knowing there was nothing, absolutely nothing he could do... It made him want to cry too.

“I´m... I´m so, so sorry...” he managed to get through the throat stuffed with the bitter guilt. The other guy remained motionless and silent. “I´ve never meant to...” Jin continued, hoping to awake any reaction. “If only... God, I´m sorry, Kame. Not being for me... This is my fault. If there is anything I can...”

Suddenly Kazuya raised his head and his eyes froze the next words on Jin´s lips.

“Stop. Just stop,” the words came out forcefully, on a hoarse voice, which shivered with Jin from head to toes.

Kazuya stood up and made three steps towards the exit, before Jin was able to force himself speak again.

“Kame!” he called out really desperate now. “I´m just...”

“I will bring you something to eat,” the younger one said without looking back and left the wigwam.

*

 

But it was not Kazuya bringing him the plate full of stew beans and slice of bread, which was of a quite strange shape, but tasted much better than the one Jin was used to. Liwan was the one entering the wigwam a few minutes later. He didn´t say anything about Kame and somehow, Jin couldn´t make himself to ask about the other one.

So the Indian watched over him, when he ate everything what he was given slowly, he checked the bandages on his back and stomach, while Jin avoided looking there, as he knew that wound had to look awful and he also handed him the ceramic container, which served as the potty.

Jin was grateful to the man that he was not doing a big deal from his other needs as well. It felt really uncomfortable at first, when he was forced to do this in that old house, but the Indian´s attitude somehow calmed him, made him persuaded it was nothing what he should be ashamed of.

After the Indian left him alone again, making him to lie down first, the dark guilt didn´t fall into Jin´s heart only, it also clenched his throat. He stared on the ceiling above his head, coloured by the morning light, sinking into the gloomy thoughts. He brought nothing else than misery into Kazuya´s life. He had no right to drag him into his revenge. If the younger one didn´t get him out of the farm, he would have been probably dead by now, but Kame´s mother would be alive. This prize was simply too high...

***

 

To Jin´s growing uneasiness, Liwan was also the one who brought the lunch and dinner for him, including a lot of water and some hot potions. At least he informed him about most of the stuff, which happened while he was not conscious. So Jin got to know about the arrival of soldiers and Grenet´s arrest, which made him to feel a little better. At least that bastard couldn´t harm anyone else from behind the bars. Liwan also told him that he was in the Indian pueblo again, only with him and Kame, as the others had already left for the winter resort. The winter was coming fast...

Liwan behaved to him surprisingly calm, without emotions, but it still felt that he had some more respect to Jin than before. And he was glad that there was at least someone, who talked with him. When he was awake now, and could do basically nothing, the minutes were long as hours.

In the evening, the Indian forced him to drink a full mug of some smelly potion. Jin was determined to stay at his full senses, until Kame appeared in the wigwam too, but it was the same medicine which the old shaman gave him before and it made him to fall asleep in no time, sinking into the dreamless but comfortable darkness...


	32. Standing up together

**T** he night was long and cold. The darkness echoed with the distant howling of lonely wolves and the chilly breeze whispered in the tops of thousands trees covering the Rocky Mountains.

For Jin, who didn´t feel the coldness of the outside world or hear the scary sounds of the nightlife around the village, the black hours passed away quickly. His sleep was deep and refreshing and when he came to his senses again, it felt like he finally slept properly for the first time in the whole month. Quite quickly he also realized, what actually woke him up - it was a warm and soft hand at his forehead. It was not Liwan´s touch, he knew that for sure; the Indian´s approach was not so gentle. In that case it had to be...

Before Jin could gather himself enough to open the eyes, the touch was gone and he just managed to spot the wigwam´s entrance moving a bit, as the fur was just put back on its place.

He pulled the blanket away and got himself into the sitting position slowly, gritting his teeth. All his muscles protested, as they were tense after the long time spent in the same position, not to mention the scabs, which strained his skin in a very unpleasant way. Jin was just sitting there for a few seconds, keeping his breathing shallow and waiting for his body to calm down a little. Then he looked around.

He was alone again. The fire in the middle of his temporary accommodation was almost burnt out, but still full of carbons, which kept the pleasant warmness inside. Except his own sleeping space, there were other two furs spread out on the ground, both with the blankets folded up and put to the side properly. Then his ears caught the sounds of two quiet voices from the outside.

Jin listened to them for a minute, getting upset because he didn´t understand a single word of the ongoing conversation and then his eyes fell on the pile of his stuff. He stared at it for a while before digging himself out of the warm blankets completely.

Except the bandages, he had his underpants on at least and some kind of shirt, which the Indian helped him to dress on the day before. So he needed the trousers, boots and coat, as he was sure that the outside´s temperature would not be something what would have made him happy.

As soon as Jin started to move, the new pinching of pain appeared on the places about which he thought that they left him alone already. But he refused to be discouraged by that and remaining on his four, he set off on the journey to the opposite side of the wigwam.

*

 

It took Jin a lot of very quiet, but also very vulgar words and much more energy than he had expected, but in the end he managed to dress himself into the spare trousers from his bag, warm vest and soft moccasins he found close to the exit, as he had no spare boots on his own. Then he tied a blanket around his shoulders closely and chose one thick stick from the pile near the fireplace.

After he found himself in the standing position, leaning onto the provisional crutch heavily, as if he was a hundred-year-old man, staggering not very sure on his aching feet, he almost couldn´t believe it. He expected to be definitely scolded for this, but he didn´t care. His concentration on moving and getting up had only one clear goal. He needed to get out of this wigwam, he needed to approach those voices outside and he needed to see Kazuya...

Jin waited for a few more seconds, until his breath changed from the heavy panting to the usual one, but unfortunately it didn´t work out for his legs and arms, which kept shaking lightly from the sudden exertion. But he ignored it and filled with determination, he headed out.

*

 

Kame was poking into the cracking twigs to join them together onto the pile and make the awakening fire bigger. The mornings were getting colder and colder gradually; he felt the chilly air biting onto the skin of his unprotected hands. He was doing this task absent-minded, by habitual movements, while Liwan was preparing their breakfast on the huge flat stone nearby, putting the mallard eggs, dried strips of meat and some green herbs into the hand-made clay pan.

He was pondering gloomily about own feelings, even though he didn´t want to. His head was heavy, as well as his heart and he just wasn´t able to shake that layer of depression away, which was sticking to him as glue.

There was the empty hole inside of him, full of remorse and sorrow, which he couldn´t get rid of, and a weak voice of his mother was still resonating in his head. There was also the stone of black guilt, which was grinning at him in the form of Grenet´s face, reminding him everything what led to that emptiness, which was caused by the loss of his beloved Mum. And as an additional burden to all of this, every time he looked in the direction of the last standing wigwam, the shaky nervousness and tension appeared in his stomach.

Was it silly from him to avoid Jin like that? Or even cowardly?

From the depth of his whole being Kame wanted to see the guy, he wanted to be by his side, to take care of him, but at the same time he just couldn´t bear with his apologizes or with his pity. He didn´t blame Jin for how all of this ended up. His inner self didn´t let Kame to transfer the blame onto somebody else, even though he would have been probably relieved if he did. He knew that his own actions and decisions brought the lethal danger on his mother´s head, nobody´s else. Though, it was true that Jin´s presence was the very first impulse of all following happenings...

Kame didn´t know how to deal with himself, or even with his feelings towards the older guy, which he was trying to suppress in his troubled heart, to bury them so deep that he might be able to forget about them...

Meanwhile, the fire grew up cheerfully, spreading the pleasant warmness around. Kame put aside the short stick, which he used to alter the fireplace, and reached for the small kettle with water, placing it at the stone close to the flames. He was making sure that the bottle would not fall down, when something, what he spotted only by the corner of the eye, caught his attention.

Kame raised his head and his eyes went wide, seeing the staggering figure wrapped in the blanket, which was approaching the fireplace. The man´s face was contorted with huge effort to keep moving.

His body was faster than mind. Kame jumped up, rushed towards Jin and supported him from the side exactly in the moment when the guy´s legs buckled and almost commanded him to collapse. Kame caught Jin around the waist and grabbed his arm to keep the stumbling guy steady.

“Damn it, Jin...” he huffed upset and led him to the log near the fireplace slowly, feeling clearly the heavy shaking of older guy´s body. “What do you think you´re doing?”

“You cannot keep me there forever,” Jin responded already sitting, still out of breath, but his face was relieved and kind of satisfied, when he looked up to the younger one.

“You´re not supposed to move yet!” somehow Kame was not able to control himself, raising his voice up. “What if your wounds...!”

“Calm down, Kame,” Liwan´s voice cut into his anger, as its owner just brought the full pan to the fire. “It is _good_ that he can move himself.”

“Almost himself,” Jin grinned at the Indian suspiciously cheerful.

“Good mood is good too,” Liwan said nodding calmly, while Kame was frowning not exactly happy about the agreement of those two. But without saying anything else, he returned to his place on the other side of the fire, and set his look at the kettle.

Liwan observed upset Kazuya for a while, after that he moved his look at Jin, whose grin was nowhere to be seen as he was watching the younger one with somewhat desperate expression, and coming to the quick resolution, the Indian straightened up on his feet.

“Can you watch over our breakfast, Kame? I will get more wood.”

Not waiting for Kame´s reaction, whose head plopped up immediately, Liwan already moved away. Kame opened his mouth to call after him at first, intending to go instead, but then he just replaced himself to the pan, with the gloomy expression, which he was trying to cover, knowing Jin´s eyes were on him.

One minute went by in the dead silence, disturbed only by cracking of the burning sticks and hissing of the heating-up meat.

“Can we talk?” Jin´s voice was hesitant, when he spoke finally, breaking the thick curtain between them.

“We are talking...” Kame murmured with his eyes still fixed at the content of the pan and despite that he could almost feel Jin´s frowning expression.

“Not like this...”

“And how then?”

“You could look at me, for the start...”

Kame stiffened a little, still looking straight forward, but not actually seeing anything. Jin´s tone was not reproachful, just sad.

“Kazuya, please...”

That soft salutation made Kame to focus at Jin. The guy was cringing there on the log, shaking a little, as he was probably feeling cold. No wonder after spending days in the warm wigwam. But he kept looking at Kame firmly and that worried wrinkle between his eyebrows eased up a little, when Kame repaid his glance finally.

“I know it won´t change anything, but I have to say it again,” the older one spoke on a serious voice. “I am so sorry about what happened, Kame. You can blame me whatever you like, I deserve it. I should have never dragged you into this.”

As Jin continued talking, Kame was getting just angrier, until he almost snapped at him.

“And I have to say this again too, don´t I?” he reacted more loudly than was necessary. “Stop apologizing, Jin! I have no smaller part of guilt in this than you!”

*

Hearing that piercing voice, Jin had the urge to make himself as small and invisible as was possible, but it didn´t stop him from more talking.

“That´s not true,” he objected Kame´s statement firmly, raising his voice up too. “It was _me_ who wanted revenge. Me, who got caught as a complete idiot and you attracted the attention on yourself by rescuing me! If I didn´t...!”

Kame jumped up on his feet with such a sudden move, that next words choked in Jin´s throat.

“I was the one who dragged my mother to Bozeman in the first place!” he exclaimed violently. “I was the one resisting Grenet! _I_ made him focus on me, not you!”

After the sound of yelling voice died out, they stared at each other, equally baffled by the sudden outburst. And into this thick silence, the calm voice involved once again: “And you are both stupid.”

Both Kame´s and Jin´s head turned to Liwan, who threw the new load onto the pile of sticks and continued talking: “Why you two blame yourself for something what you did not do?” he asked sharply.

“You don´t understand this, Liwan!” Kame snapped, fighting with the flood of emotions burning in his chest.

“Is that so? I do not understand...” his friend repeated. “Well, did you take a gun and killed that good woman, your mother?” he asked caustically.

“It´s more complicated than that...” Jin murmured, also in the difficult match with his own feelings.

“I do not know about anything complicated here,” Liwan replied coldly. “Did you know what that man will do beforehand? Could you do anything to stop him? You know that all answers are ´no´.”

“Liwan, I´m...”

“I did not finish yet!” the Indian interrupted Kame immediately. “More questions! You,” he looked directly at Jin. “Did you force Kame to help you? He did it on his own will, didn´t he? Did you not have good reasons to go against that evil man? Did you not want to avenge your family and friend? Did you not want to protect others? What happened with your conviction that what you were doing was right?”

Jin stared at him dumbfounded, lost on words.

“And you,” Liwan continued, looking at Kame now. “Did you not do everything to help your mother to get better? Did you not protect me in front of that man? Did you not do it because you protected the people you care about?”

The Indian stepped even closer towards frozen Kazuya.

“And if you were in the same situation again, what would you do? Would you decide otherwise? Would you let him,” Liwan pointed at Jin. “...suffer on that place? Would you give him over? Or would you rescue him again?”

Kame was standing in front of his friend absolutely motionless, his eyes shining, the lips pressed together.

“Answer me, Kame,” the Indian insisted. “Would you make same decision?”

“Leave me alone,” the younger one whispered hoarsely, with a voice resonating in pain, which shook Jin from head to toes.

Then Kame moved faster than Liwan could do anything to stop him. He rushed away from them, reached Ukushi standing nearby under the trees and not caring that she didn´t wear a saddle, he jumped on her, turning her out of pueblo.

Both Jin and Liwan watched the slim figure leaving with worried expressions. Jin felt so damn helpless; he wanted to go after Kame, but he just knew he was not able to.

“Will you follow him?” he asked through a narrow throat, looking up to the frowning Indian.

Liwan thought about it for a while, before he shook his head: “He needs some time alone now....”

Jin nodded slowly, staring into the flames. Not that he disagreed with Liwan completely, but he was still worried as hell...

***

 

Even though the sun had no power to warm the air up anymore, the surprisingly shiny day was very nice and turned into the late afternoon slowly. The cool shadow covered the silent pueblo, bringing the first gust of the evening cold along.

Liwan was sitting nearby the fireplace in the comfortable position, focused at the shaving off the long cane, which he had made from one convenient stick. From time to time he raised his eyes up from the work to check on the visitor of his home, as Akanishi was limping from one side of the village to another, unable to keep still. The walking was causing him pain, even though he did what he could to relieve his feet and stomach muscles. Liwan could see the young gunman´s inner fight in the tension of his each step, but the stubborn guy kept moving anyway. At least he managed to make him to wear the warm poncho, which was definitely more useful than the blanket he had before.

Liwan sighed a little, when he realized that he stopped counting Akanishi´s traces there and back again. He was worried for Kame too, but he didn´t let it be visible on his behaviour. Akanishi´s case was the exact opposite...

He made the last long move to get rid of the sharp splinter, which was spoiling the lookout of the cane and got up. Akanishi, concentrated on his movements, didn´t notice him, until Liwan stepped right into his way. Only after that his tired and haunted eyes focused on the Indian.

“Here,” Liwan gave him the cane. “Try this instead of that stupid stick.”

The white guy stared at the thing in his hand, then at his face again, obviously surprised. He took the cane over from him a little hesitantly and changed it for that useless stuff he had been using so far. Then he tried a few steps around Liwan.

“It´s much better!” the guy assumed cheerfully and looked at him. “Obrige tamaši, Liwan,” he thanked him in the Indian´s language really gratefully.

Now Liwan was the surprised one, about that Akanishi bothered to remember it, but didn´t let it appear on his face, and he just nodded slowly.

“Do you think I can walk a little further?” the restless youngster proposed, trying to leave a full weight on the cane.

Liwan almost rolled his eyes over. Only his upbringing and steel habits make him to remain with the neutral face. This guy just wouldn´t stay still even for a minute.

“Don´t go too far,” he said. “Just so that I can hear you, if anything...”

Akanishi looked up again and grinned as a child: “Who would say you will be worried for me that much?”

“It is just because you are friend of Kame,” he stated coldly, puckering his nose.

“Sure,” Akanishi got more serious at the mention of the name, but kept smiling. “I will try it more. Thanks once again.”

Liwan pretended stopping to pay the other one an attention, as he went back to the fire, but in real he was watching the guy leaving the village very closely. He had to admit to himself, that he didn´t feel any grudge or animosity towards that young man anymore, even though he had a right for it. A little surprised, he realized that he even started to respect Akanishi. Not many people had this kind of willpower... Although, he was not sure about what exactly was propelling Akanishi forward so much.

*

 

That really nice stick from Liwan made his walking much easier. Jin still felt the annoying itching and tension almost everywhere and he was already quite tired, but his joy from being able to move and walk himself was stronger.

He kept proceeding away from the village, through the grove of small trees, and then a little down the slope, enjoying the free movement. It was getting really cold already, but he felt more than warm from all the efforts he put up into the setting his muscles into the right motion.

It was better than pondering about other stuff, as for example, about his first real argument with Kazuya. Well, it was not exactly the argument, but they yelled at each other, moreover from the bad reasons. Liwan´s words really got to him; Jin knew the Indian had the point and that he shouldn´t have felt guilty about how everything with his revenge worked out in the end. But he still felt like shit thinking about how Kame had to feel.

Upset that he was so hopeless and worried that something might have happened to Kame in this state, when the younger one was all alone, Jin didn´t notice that the grove already ended, until he stood up in front of the amazing sight, which at least for a while chased everything else from his mind away.

Already the view from the cliff, where Walker´s soldiers, Grenet´s men and Indians met up before, was something special, but this... It was hard to find the words for what his eyes saw.

The walk from the village took him some time, so the sun was already setting somewhere behind his back in the west. Its dark red shine was falling right onto the shields of sharp mountains in front of him in the east and south direction, changing their usually grey appearance into the beautiful play of crimson and shadows. Their peaks were already covered with the pure white snow, while their bases were sinking in the deep dark shadows of the ocean of conifers, as the red sunshine was slowly proceeding up along the stone bodies.

That colourful picture was reflecting in the surface of the biggest lake Jin had ever seen. The water was unfolding into the far away, as well as to the sides, with the isle so small in the middle of it, that from this distance it looked like there was enough space only for two people standing. And above all of this, high above Jin´s head, the light clouds torn apart in the small pieces, were completing the scenery with the mixture of red, orange, grey and dark blue colours.

The view was absolutely breath taking and suddenly Jin felt so incredibly small, being so tiny part of those mountains, of the nature and the whole earth. He was only one life among millions of others, basically insignificant, only a small piece of mankind.

So where was the point in it? What was the meaning of struggling against the destiny, against the bad luck or whatever it was what brought the ugly and cruel things into his life? He knew now. He should live it fully and in such a way which he would not regret later. His life might not be important in the scale of the whole world, but it could be more than important to those around him.

Jin had no idea how long he was standing there, rapt by complexity of the picture, watching the small waves on the huge water surface created by the evening wind, and the red west reflecting at the snowy peaks, as the time went slowly and smoothly... Until a soft neighing tore him out of his enchantment.

Not very willingly Jin let his eyes leave the view and he looked after the sound. To his surprise he found its source only a few meters away from him. The white mare was standing between the thin trees close to the edge of the cliff. Ukushi´s head was turned towards him; he felt her stare on himself, which was almost scary. But if Ukushi was there, it meant that her master...

With his heart beating still steadily, but much harder, Jin made a few small steps, before he could see the owner of the mare too.

Kazuya was sitting at the wide root of the old oak, which was growing lonely almost on the very edge above the dangerous pit leading to the forest down there and also to the lake´s shore. He was hugging his bent knees, the chin rested on the arms and he was watching motionless the very same scenery as Jin himself a few seconds ago.

At first Jin breathed out in relief seeing the younger guy in one piece. So he didn´t ride somewhere far away or even to Bozeman as he had feared. He was here in the end, close to the village. But in the next moment his heart ached again, noticing the expression on Kame´s face...

Jin took a couple of slow and deep breaths, before he moved again and headed towards him by the determined steps. Kame turned his head, when he noticed the sudden movement. His lips moved a little, as if he wanted to say something, but he didn´t in the end and turned his attention back to the view.

Jin stopped only two steps away from him and turned to the same direction, letting his eyes observe the slowly changing scenery again. He felt his knees were already shaking significantly from the weakness, the stomach was burning and the breathing started to be more difficult, but he pushed those unpleasant feelings away, focusing on what he wanted to say.

“This is so beautiful...”

As soon as the words escaped his lips, he scolded himself for not being able to think out anything cleverer. He rather kept his mouth shut forcefully, before he could say anything more stupid.

“It is the favourite place of my mother...”

Kame´s reaction caught Jin unprepared. He removed his eyes back to the guy fast, but Kame was keeping his stare at the coloured mountains.

“Or... It was...” he added slowly, his voice broken. “She loved to go here. She always said that there is no place where you could feel the freedom more clearly...”

“I agree with her...” Jin reacted quietly.

Kame leant back onto the wide bole, saying nothing else. Jin kept looking at him, forcing himself to speak again.

“Liwan was right, Kame... We believed that our intentions were right and just. We cannot change what happened, but there is still something what we _can_ do...”

When the brown look finally focused at him, Jin gulped down heavily. Kazuya´s eyes captured him, froze him on the spot. He was waiting awfully anxious for any kind of reaction, until...

“I know, Jin. I know...” the younger one said on a quiet and tired voice.

The anxiety got bigger inside Jin and he had to get it out somehow.

“I will understand if you want to continue on your own,” he said, despite it was difficult as hell, willingly giving up on Kame´s companionship. “I will understand if you don´t want to have anything in common with me anymore...”

Kazuya stared at him, looking almost frightened suddenly.

“No, Jin, no! I don´t want you to think that...” Kame stopped for a second, thinking over the words rushing through his mind, before he continued. “I would make the same decision again,” he said firmly, standing up from his sitting position suddenly. “I would still want to save you if I had to decide again. Do you understand?”

That finally made Jin to feel a lot better. He was really worried and scared from the idea that Kame regretted saving him from the farm, but seeing his face now, he could be sure that was not the case. But there was still something, what Kame was not aware of and he had a right to know... Jin took a deep breath again.

“In that case you should know that...”

“Wait,” Kame interrupted him. “Let me talk now, Jin. I know Liwan was saying the truth. I know what we both did was right. And I don´t regret it. But I still feel guilty because... It´s just that...” Kame´s voice started to shake, the words coming out only with obvious difficulties, but Jin forced himself to keep silent and let him continue.

“If only I got my mother out of town on time,” Kazuya breathed out heavily. “I should have known that Grenet would do anything to get to me. It was that simple! I could have brought her to the tribe, at least for some time! She would be... She would be safe...”

It was like a dagger stabbed into Jin´s chest, when he saw the silent tears, which escaped from the shining eyes, falling across Kame´s cheeks.

“I should have protected her... But I didn´t. I lost her...and then... Then I almost lost you too...”

Kame was not able to continue anymore. He lowered his head, remaining on the spot for a while, before he moved hastily, avoiding Jin, and obviously intending to run away again.

But Jin reacted no slower, without any useless thinking, listening to the voice of his heart. He let go off a crane, onto which he was leaning on till that moment and he reached both hands after Kame, managing to catch him for an elbow firmly.

“No, Jin...” that voice was so creaky; it was like it didn´t belong to Kame at all. “I don´t want you to...”

But Jin stopped next Kame´s words by simply pulling him to himself and locking the slim body in his embrace. He felt how Kame stiffened, and how he hold his breath, but he was determined not to release the younger one.

“It´s all right, Kazuya... Just let it go...” Jin whispered.

The heavy shaking of the suddenly soft body revealed just how many emotions Kame was pushing back. It must have been awfully tough on him. During all those past days, so many difficult things were piling up – the rescue mission from the farm, fucker Grenet, his mother´s death and then stealing him off the Death´s claws, as that was exactly what Jin believed Kame did.

“It´s all right,” he repeated, not thinking about what exactly he was doing or saying. Every time he thought too much, it didn´t help him anyhow. At the moment he decided to follow what he felt, what his heart told him to do. And that was not letting Kazuya go. “I´m right here... I didn´t die. You helped me to get up again, so I will help you too...”

There was a quiet whimper, followed by the slow movement, when the slim hands circled around Jin´s waist and the face buried itself into the soft cloth on his shoulder. Kazuya was holding onto Jin desperately, his shaking growing up as the heavy sobs started to come out mutely into the poncho. And the older one pulled him even closer, trying to give the younger one as much support as he only could, one of his hands unconsciously going up and soothing through Kame´s hair ends in a comforting way.

Jin felt the pinching of salt in his own eyes. Kame´s suffering, which just showed up in its full force, was breaking his heart. He had never imagined that somebody else´s pain would hurt that much. And if the only thing he could do for Kazuya right now was holding him, he was willing to do it for the whole night...

*

Too much of everything was simply too much...

When Kame realized that his protective walls, which he was keeping up around himself for days, started to fall apart with heavy rumble, his first impulse was to get away from Jin. He didn´t want the other one to see him like this, like a weak crying baby. But Jin surprised him by the protective hug, with which he stopped him from going away. His warm embrace and soft voice, assuring him that it was all right to let those walls fall, and that he could let go of whatever necessary…

Kame was broken by his mother´s death and only days ago he thought that Jin would be the next one whom he would have to bury under the ground. But now the guy was here, alive, holding him firmly and obviously not willing to let him go. After all what happened in the past days, after how lonely Kame felt, that warm hold and comforting words was what destroyed even the last piece of his efforts to control himself and what made him to open his mouth and heart to cry  out his frustration, grief, pain and fear.

When the flood of that horrible mixture faded out and he started to calm down slowly, the more he could perceive how comfortable Jin´s hug was. He was more muscular, higher and still slightly heavier than himself, despite the involuntary diet in the past week. And Kame fitted into his arms so well, that it was like he was hidden there in front of the whole world. Despite he knew Jin was still weak and full of pains, it felt so safe being held by him. It felt like the older one wouldn´t let anyone to harm him anymore...

It took Kame a while to realize, that there were no more aching sobs going out from his lungs and that the shaking almost stopped, but he still remained clinging to Jin, holding onto his body. And he was definitely touching his wounds like that...

From the deep of his heart Kame didn´t want to let go and abandon that warm safety. He had to fight over it hard to raise his head a little and release the grip, slowly retreating away from Jin´s waist. Jin reacted on his movement and slowly pulled back his hands too, but he still let one of them on his shoulder.

Kame kept his head low, forcing himself to breathe slowly. It was hard for him to believe that he broke down like this in front of Jin. He was not the type to reveal his inner side so much, to open up to others.

“I´m...” he started heavily, before he was cut off by the older one.

“Don´t you dare to be sorry for something like this.”

Kame looked up into the dark orbs, which were soothing and burning him at the same time, shocked by the words. How could Jin know what was on his mind?

“Don´t you dare, Kame,” Jin repeated stubbornly.

Somehow it made the younger´s lips to move into the faint smile.

“Fine... I won´t be,” he said, hardly recognizing own voice, how hoarse it was. “Thank you, Jin...”

“Oh, come on, Kazu...” Jin huffed out. “You don´t have to be grateful for anything here! I´m the one who will be thanking you for the rest of my life, for saving me out of there...”

Reminder of that place and of how Jin looked before the cuts and wounds on his body started to heal finally, still clutched Kame´s stomach. But at the same time, he fully realized how actually happy he was that Jin seemed to be all right now, except some ugly bruises...

“I think I will not argue with you about that,” he responded softly and took a step back, immediately regretting that Jin was not touching him anymore.

“I´d not advise you to do so,” the older one murmured.

Before Kame could be overpowered by the desire to hug the older one again, he headed to finish his original intention, going for Ukushi waiting under the trees. But after he took her reins and turned again, he rushed back much faster, when he spotted Jin leaning onto the tree´s bole and breathing heavily.

“Jin, what is it?” he asked, immediately worried.

“I´m fine, really...” Jin responded. “But I think I overdid it a little for one day...”

Kame observed him carefully, noticing that he was shaking really heavily.

“Don´t tell me you were doing errands around the whole village?” he reproached to the older one suspiciously.

“Of course not...” Jin murmured. “Only a few of them...”

Kame sighed and reached for the crane on the ground, which was obviously very fresh made.

“I can imagine... “ he directed the mare next to Jin, patting her across the neck, jumped on her in one swift move and put the crane across the animal´s back in front of him. “Come on, I´ll help you to get to the top,” he reached out to Jin. “Stand up onto that root, it will be easier,” he advised him, when the cold hand grabbed his arm.

*

Jin obeyed, getting himself into the higher position, put the other hand onto animal´s back, took two deep breaths and gave all of his remaining energy to bounce from his natural foot place. But he would have never made it not being for strong hold around his forearm, by which Kame pulled him up. Like that he managed to settle himself right behind the slim guy.

“All right?” Kame asked turning the head back to him and let his hand go only when Jin nodded. “Hold onto me properly. You´re not exactly used to riding without a saddle, I guess...”

Only then Jin realized that Kame left the village on his mare without anything except the soft reins around the animal´s neck and the blanket attached on the stomach.

At first he just put both his hands on the sides around Kame´s waist, but as soon as the animal started to move, he realized it would not be that easy. There was not the usual support for his feet and legs, basically nothing to hold on to. Except Kazuya in front of him, who seemed unbelievably steady on mare´s back, clutching and leading it with his slim thighs. So when Jin felt that he was slipping back and a little to the side, it scared him and he grabbed his hands around Kame much firmly, getting himself as close to him as possible, gasping for breath.

“With all trimmings, this is much more difficult than I thought...” he stated over Kame´s right shoulder.

There was a short silence from the other and he reacted only after he incited Ukushi to move to the right direction.

“Focus on Ukushi´s movements and try to comply with them. You´ll get used to it, you´ll see...”

“Easy to say for you,” Jin murmured.

There was something like a short soft chuckle in front of him.

“Hey! Are you laughing at me?!” Jin objected a little offended.

“No,” Kame replied, but it sounded not very convincing.

“You´re mean,” Jin huffed unsatisfied.

“To you?” this time the younger´s voice sounded really surprised. “Never... Don´t worry, Jin, I will not let you fall.”

With that he let Ukushi set off between the trees, finding the most convenient way back up to the Indian pueblo and they left the red mountains still reflecting in the lake behind their backs.


	33. Revealing secrets

**T** he shadows under the trees were getting deeper as the two young men riding at one mare proceeded through the small grove, the cold breeze brushing their faces and hair.

Kame let Ukushi find the best way up to the village freely; he knew he could rely on the animal, when he was not exactly able to think properly, not with Jin´s body willingly clinging to his own. Already at the moment, when the older one´s hands grabbed him around the waist, Kame realized that riding together was not a good idea at all and with each second it was getting harder...

The other guy was sitting right behind him, so close that Kame could feel not only his arms, but also long legs, touching far up alongside his own. Along with Ukushi´s steps forward, they both shifted a little following her movement, their bodies bouncing into each other, which made his heart to beat faster.

 _Very, very, very bad idea..._ Kame scolded himself again.

He felt his whole face turning red, and was really grateful that Jin couldn´t see it. Not that he would not enjoy the other´s closeness, it was the very opposite. When Kazuya honestly admitted those feelings, which it awoke inside of him, it was like a healing balm on his tortured soul. He felt the comforting warmness and safety. It was something so damn good in comparison what he had felt during past few days, that for a moment he thought he would not be able to suppress the strong desire to lean back to Jin more, to attach himself to that firm chest and let those hands to go even further, to hug him more closely...

But Kame promised to himself not to force Jin to do anything what he didn´t want to. He decided that the day, which now felt like ages ago, when they talked in the stalls, after they kissed. He cared for Jin too much to push him away by what he felt. Even if it was something so... so damn hot, what settled down in his stomach, and sent the vibrating sensation into his chest and throat. He just had to make his stupid heart full of butterfly´s wings to obey. And somehow he made it.

Kame didn´t let his body move even by inch, except the coordination with Ukushi. It was Jin, who couldn´t settle himself behind him for a long minute, which made his task quite difficult. When Jin found the right position finally and moved closer, placing his head just above Kame´s shoulder, the younger one almost jumped off Ukushi in the useless attempt to escape own feelings, which were attracting him to the guy so strongly, that he was sure Jin would hear his crazy heartbeat.

“You were right, it´s much better now. I don´t think I will get used to riding like this, though...” Jin´s soft and tired voice was heard and his warm breath touched Kame´s right ear. “Thank God for the saddles.”

Kame gulped down heavily. He wouldn´t have used a word ´better´ for the current situation at all.

“Good...” he managed to get out across the stiffened lips. “We will be there soon.”

There was a short silence, before Jin spoke again: “Kazu?”

“Hmm?”

“Thank you... For everything.”

“You already did that, Jin,” Kame reacted carefully.

“Then I´m doing it again,” the other one objected in his typically stubborn way. “I thought I was going to die over there, you know?”

Kame took a deep breath, hearing a little shaky voice behind and he had to fight over the wave of sickness and anger, when he remembered through how much suffering Jin had to go, just because of one bastard...

“If they don´t hang him on the nearest gallows, I will kill him for what he did to you...” he stated then, surprised by the sharpness of own voice.

Jin´s head moved a little more forward again and Kame felt his observing look.

“Unless I´ll kill him first...” the older one declared no less decisively then.

There was no need to speak out the name of the man they talked about; they both knew very well... But somehow, paradoxically, it brought a little piece of peace into Kame´s heart. No matter what he felt towards Jin, or what feelings Jin had for him, they were friends, willing to stand up for each other. He was not alone. And that was exactly what his mother wished for...

“Agreed,” Kame responded to Jin´s statement seriously, not so uncertain anymore.

*

 

When they reached the Indian village again, Jin caught himself at the strong wish to turn the mare for the way back. He didn´t want their ride to end, he didn´t want to release the slim body from his arms. Being so close to Kame was something, what felt incredibly good after all those pains and tortures and fever and other pains.

As Jin was leaning towards the back in front of him slightly, his nose almost in the light brown hair, he could feel the gentle mixture of smoke from the camp fire, the pine needles and something else, something slightly sweet, what he couldn´t describe. Kazuya was warm, but somehow stiff in his hug, his body constrained by some tension, which source was a mystery to Jin for the whole way. He hoped that the worst part of the younger one´s emotions got out already and that he felt better, he really hoped, but there was something more on Kazuya´s mind. But Jin didn´t want to think about it, so he just enjoyed their ride, which was too short to his taste.

When Kame stopped the animal and Jin found himself stuck onto him, not wanting to let go at all, the realization finally hit him, when he caught himself wondering, what it would be like to snuggle to the white skin even closer, or to kiss that spot on his neck, where the blood was pulsating...

Jin stopped breathing for a second: _Holy crap, what am I thinking?_

Frozen with the realization of what his whole body was yearning for, Jin noticed something else a little later than he would normally - somebody´s sharp glance. Only when he moved away from Kame a little and let his eyes follow that feeling, he realized it was Liwan, who was staring at them from his spot at the fireplace. It was not hard to guess the reason of that strict stabbing look, considering that Jin was clinging to Kame quite more familiarly then it was expected. That he was holding him in much more than only friendly way...

Jin gulped down heavily, very glad that the dark was already falling down, so that it covered the red colour caused by the blood rushing into his face. He pulled his hands off Kame hastily.

“Jin... Slowly,” the younger one warned him.

But at the moment Jin was in such a state, that he just wanted to get away from the guy as soon as possible, so in quite a rush he dismounted Ukushi. Of course that his back and stomach screamed in protest and his knees almost disobeyed him as he staggered heavily. Jin caught onto the animal, bent in the waist and gasping for breath.

“For all good spirits, what are you doing?!” Liwan swore angrily getting up from the fire.

“Jin... How many times should we tell you to be careful?” Kame joined his friend, after he went down from Ukushi in much more elegant way than he did.

“If you tore your scabs, I will kick you instead of healing!” the Indian hissed already going towards them.

Jin knew he deserved this scolding more than well, so he didn´t dare to defend himself.

“I´m... Damn it, this hurts...” he breathed out heavily. “I´m sorry...”

Liwan murmured something in the Indian language, what he didn´t understand, but he could imagine what it was, while Kame reached out his hands and supported him gently. If only Jin didn´t have to solve the dilemma if he should like that or not...

“Come on, time to check you out,” Kame stated, when Jin leant onto him. He just had to, he couldn´t force himself to stand on his own anymore.

Liwan reached them with the dark expression.

“It was about time, you two...” he was trying to stare at them pissed, but it was clear he was relieved they were back. The Indian shook his head and set off towards Jin´s favourite wigwam as the first. “I almost thought that you ended as wolves´ snack...”

“We´ve already brought the grizzly down,” Jin huffed, letting Kame lead him inside their shelter, and trying to move as little as possible at the same time. “No wolf would be able to eat us.”

Liwan hold the entrance, so that they could get through.

“That was a joke, Akanishi,” he said stiffly.

“That mine too,” Jin grinned at him.

Kame seemed almost shocked by this teasing, especially from Liwan´s side, but he didn´t comment it. He helped Jin to sit down on his fur and looked at his friend, but the Indian avoided his eyes, already preparing the healing ointment.

“What about you would go to watch over our dinner, Kame?” Liwan said, but it sounded more like an order than a question. And Kame didn´t protest.

“Sure,” he nodded and disappeared back outside, before Jin managed to get out of his clothes.

“I knew it,” the Indian stated upset, checking already lying Jin carefully. “Your stomach, the wound is open again.”

Jin bit into his lower lip, slightly ashamed for how he reacted back there, still confused by own feelings and said nothing.

“What caused this, anyway?” Liwan asked then.

“Some metal rod... I think,” Jin replied on a very quiet voice.

“Hmm... You have to be more careful about this, understand?” the Indian reproached to him. “It needs to heal itself properly or it will cause more troubles than only scars.”

“I understand...” Jin reacted obediently.

“I hope so.”

Liwan was checking and treating his healing wounds in deep silence for a few minutes, before he spoke for the second time and it was something, what really surprised Jin. So much that he forgot to ponder about what Kame might think about their ride on the mare...

“Thank you...”

Jin stared at the serious face above him: “What for?” he asked confused.

Liwan hesitated for a while and finished the bandaging of wound first, before he looked at Jin directly and responded: “For Kame...”

Jin frowned.

“What exactly do you mean?” he didn´t understand, what Indian was talking about and the dark face was too serious for making fun of him.

For a moment Liwan looked annoyed, before it was replaced with the tired expression.

“You can sit up,” he said and placed himself a little further away.

Jin obeyed slowly; feeling the itching on his stomach, but it didn´t hurt that much anymore. Liwan handed him his shirt over.

“You know what I mean...” the Indian continued then. “I do not know what happened, but you helped him.”

Jin was not so sure about that and Liwan´s confidence really amazed him.

“How can you tell?” he asked quietly.

“I have eyes and I can see,” Liwan replied before getting up on his feet. “Will you make it alone?”

“I´ll try...” Jin reacted, still thinking about the sudden statement.

“Here, your cane.”

“Thanks...”

It was easier for Jin to get up with help of the thin wood, even though he was tired. And then they headed outside together.

*

 

Kame was blending the thick roasted mash from potato flour in the deep pot above the fire, so that it would not singe. Right next to it, bugged on the sharp sticks, loaded by stones and leaning on the wood holder, were three fish, already done, the fireplace was just keeping them warm.

He didn´t eat anything for the whole day, but thanks to the way how he spent it, wandering in the woods, sinking in his pessimistic thoughts, he realized it fully only now, when he could finally relax a little.

It was as if a ton-heavy mountain was taken away from his shoulders. It still hurt, but it was not torturing him anymore. He was almost afraid to believe it, but letting his emotions burst out helped a lot. And he could do it only thanks to Jin... Otherwise he would still keep it buried somewhere deep, all those painful emotions eating him inside out.

Kame heard the steps behind his back, but he didn´t turn, keeping his attention to the preparation of meal. But even like that he noticed that they came together, Jin again leaning on his walking stick. Obviously tired guy settled himself on the log, while Liwan crouched down to the fish with three clay plates in his hand.

“It smells amazing,” Jin sniffed around the pot curiously, as soon as he was seated. “I hope it will taste at least half that well...”

Liwan stabbed him with the insulted look.

“Don´t like, don´t eat,” he snapped surprisingly fittingly to the white men´s language.

“Hey, I didn´t mean anything bad with that!” Jin reacted. “It´s just that it looks...” he focused at the pot with the light brown mass again. “Strange...” he finished slowly with the suspicious expression.

Liwan was too proud to say anything more, so he just put one fish on the plate and handed it over to Kame, who was suppressing the amused smile, so that he could put the portion of ´suspicious´ mash on it. Then he stood up, and reached over to Jin.

“Just try it first,” he recommended him.

Jin´s eyes were warm, when he looked at the younger one, and they were smiling even though the lips didn´t.

“It will be his fault, if I am sick...” he murmured.

Liwan huffed, remaining in his offended silence and Kame chuckled a little. And almost immediately felt a little guilty for that happy moment, when he was supposed to mourn for his mother... But he suppressed it and he reached towards Liwan again. After he had his own dinner plate too, he sat down next to Jin, and handed him the wide spoon.

“Thanks...”

Jin´s voice was unusually quiet, when he said the word, but Kame didn´t notice it, as he was too busy to handle the shivering in his fingers. In the end Jin seemed really satisfied with the meal, as he even asked about the procedure to make the potato mash, but Kame was not able to eat much with his stomach clutched from nervousness at the idea, how many efforts he would have to maintain to keep behaving normally towards Jin in the next days...

***

 

There were many dangerous men Raynold Karnaka had to deal with in his life - heartless killers, greedy bounty hunters, sand-blind gold-diggers, fanatic Indian protectors, over motivated government officers, even lunatic slaves. In some cases it was very easy to find their weak spot, to use it against them and make them to act as he wished. In others it was more difficult. In any case there was nobody, who could defeat him in his game - he was always a winner, in one way or another.

Those, who were too persistent to be convinced by money or threats, simply ended up dead. He even admired personalities of those, for their courage, even though it was a foolish one. But there was almost nobody, who would be able to gain his respect. It was very rare for him to admit, that there was a person intelligent and strong enough to compare with himself, or even surpass him. And at that moment it started to seem, that the white-haired man sitting opposite to him in the comfortable armchair, with the face full of wrinkles, but his back straight and eyes sharp, could be one of those special persons.

When Karnaka received an urgent report from one of his subordinates about the movement of huge troop with Major General in their lead towards Bozeman, he was quick to decide his next move. Captain Walker with his little unit meant nothing to him, but a battalion of soldiers with particularly this man right at his doorstep, even if they were coming because of redskins, was not something what he would have seen gladly.

That was why he decided to get rid of the most likely source of future troubles and ordered Math Grenet to annihilate all remaining Kamenashi´s at once; of course under the condition of some unfortunate accident. That boy was posing the biggest current danger for his position, thanks to his connections with Indians, his desire for revenge and good relations with Walker. The presence of young Kamenashi could have destroyed everything he had built so far. If he had been able to persuade General about ´his´ truth of course, but better to be sure than risk it. Not to mention that Raynold realized the youngster was the one helping Akanishi to escape. And he didn´t like, when somebody was able to fool him, not at all...

Karnaka wanted this annoying danger to be deleted immediately and he was willing to sacrifice Math for it. People like the deputy were replaceable, his reputation was not.

Unfortunately, his supposedly right hand and so far reliable subordinate screwed it up a little. He didn´t mind Math sitting in jail, he knew the man would not talk, and Mrs. Kamenashi was dead. But on the other hand, the old sheriff was sniffing to the grass from beneath together with her and that Kamenashi boy was still alive. It didn´t go the worst possible way, but still... It brought that man right into his residence.

Raynold Karnaka was able to think his current situation over very fast; only a few seconds passed since the question was raised towards him, when he thought out a proper response.

“Yes, it´s true that Math Grenet is my subordinate, Major General, but I can assure you that he has been fired at the very moment you told me what he did,” Karnaka stated on a serious and calm tone, perfectly in control over his facial features. “I absolutely condemn his actions.”

“If I understand your standpoint correctly, Mr. Karnaka, he acted on his own will then,” General Ord was repaying his look not even a little less serious.

“That´s right,” Karnaka nodded, noticing the tint of sarcasm in the other man´s voice, but not reacting on it. “He was supposed to follow up all important events in the city and keep me informed. He is a little... uncontrollable, I admit, but so far he hadn´t crossed the line. But this... It´s regrettable what happened, really.”

“Yes, it is,” General agreed, but his face remained utterly cold. “So I believe it will be no problem to ask you for the testimony during his trial.”

 _That would be very annoying..._ Karnaka thought, but nodded saying something completely else: “Of course not.”

“I´m pleased to hear that,” the other man reacted, the sharp eyes still focused at his host. “Well, except your former subordinate, there is one more thing I´d like to discuss with you, Mister. It seems that you´ve had some troubles recently...”

“Troubles? What kind of troubles?” Karnaka raised his eyebrows concerned.

“Those signs after the fire on your house...” Ord explained more specifically. “What happened here?”

“Ah, that... It was nothing serious fortunately, thank you for asking,” he reacted politely. “Just one of my servants was not careful enough and let the stove´s door in the kitchen opened. A few people were hurt during putting it down, but otherwise it was insignificant,” he stated and immediately continued, as he felt the opportunity which he could use. “But... Unfortunately, I have other issues to solve...”

“Other issues?” General moved with his eyebrows, somewhat copying Karnaka´s facial expression.

“Local Indians, Major General,” Karnaka replied. “And I´m not the only one, as I´ve heard... I was told that Captain Walker lost three of his men because of them already.”

General´s glance became colder and sharper: “You´re informed very well, Mr. Karnaka.”

He repaid that strong glance without the slightest hesitation: “I´m a powerful man, General, I´m sure you´re well aware of that. Information are power and I wouldn´t be where I am without many of them.”

“Sure...” Ord hummed after a short pause. “Well, it is true. It looks that a certain group of Sioux keeps attacking us, trying to prevent the continuation of Northern Railway.”

“And that´s quite a serious issue, I guess,” Karnaka looked at Cameron standing next to his armchair for all that time, gave him one short sign and the servant prepared a cigar for him. “And I also suppose that this group is the reason why you were summoned here.”

The grey glance narrowed.

“Our President considers the completion of the railway as the highest priority. Neither our government, nor the Army will tolerate any foolish attempts to stop it. It is for the future of us all, for our children.”

“I cannot agree more, General,” Karnaka nodded smoothly. “And that is exactly why I´m more than willing to offer you my help.”

“I appreciate that,” General stated on a strict tone. “But we will not include the civilians, if not necessary. I have enough soldiers at my hand to deal with this, Mr. Karnaka.”

“I´m sure about that, but do you know where to look for these rebels, General?”

This statement surprised the man; he could see it on his face, which got tense.

“We will perform a proper search through the locality,” Ord responded slowly. “But what does your question mean? Do you know anything what I should know about, Mister?”

“Maybe I do,” Karnaka stated calmly.

General stared at him for a while, before he spoke again. And this time his voice was hard as a stone: “Those rebels are enemies of our government and the whole country, trying to intrude our hardly fought peace with the original nations. I´m sure you realize, that if you conceal any important information, which may help us to seize them, it will be considered as the treason against the States´ interests...”

Raynold Karnaka had to suppress a satisfied smile. Finally, he got this over motivated old General right where he wanted.

“I fully understand, General. I do _not_ intend to conceal anything from you. Right the opposite. I want the two of us to cooperate for welfare of everyone.”

A long keen silence followed, during which the two men were exchanging the firm glances. Karnaka was quite sure that General Ord didn´t trust him, that he wasn´t able to persuade him completely. But that was not important. To make him follow his lead, that was what mattered. And even in that case, Ord could still think that he was the one setting the way of happenings.

“All right, Mister,” General nodded slowly. “If you truly mean, what you stated here, I´m more than willing to discuss our future cooperation. And we can start with that information you got...”

Karnaka, content with the flow of the conversation, inhaled deeply from his cigar and made himself more comfortable in the armchair.

“Let me explain it a little first... As I´ve already said, I have some troubles with local Indians. They keep stealing from my fields, from my rightful property. Warnings and threats didn´t stop them and I have the full right to protect, what belongs to me. So I ordered one of my men to find their village in the mountains and bring me the proof of their crimes, so that I could enforce my rights...”

“What do you mean by this enforcing, Mister?” Ord interrupted him suspiciously.

“Anything necessary, General,” Karnaka replied firmly, not hesitating even for a moment. “I´m sure you know how it works here in the west.”

Ord frowned, but didn´t objected anything.

“So... How did it end up?” he asked then.

“Well, by lucky chance my subordinate found out, that at least some members of that tribe are also involved with Sioux rebels.”

“What tribe are you talking about, Mr. Karnaka?”  
“Blackfeet,” Karnaka stated calmly.

“But Captain Walker assured me that this tribe is very cooperative and that is very unlikely they have anything in common with Sioux,” Ord said slowly.

“They are Indians, General. They lie; they will do anything to ruin the progress in this country. I bet you have load of experiences with that.”

That was something with which he hit the point; Karnaka could see that on Ord´s face.

“What exactly did your man find out?” the old man asked, the deep wrinkle appearing between his eyebrows.

“He found the location of their winter resort; they had just removed there from their original pueblo. And he saw how their women were carrying the food and supplies somewhere into the woods, so he followed them and found out they handed them over to the group of Indians with the black stripe around their eyes.”

“Sioux...” General added frowning. “So, they do help them in the end... Can I talk with this man?”

“Of course, I will summon him later...” Karnaka agreed willingly. “Anyway, you can strike the village more easily and get the information about the Sioux group location from them. It will be certainly more convenient than chasing a few sneaky Indians through the woods, which they know far better than you.”

The dark expression on General´s face deepened, but he nodded his head slowly and Karnaka recognized that he won this game too...

“I have to say that I disagree with your methods, Mister, but your information are very valuable and I appreciate that you shared them,” Ord stated.

“It will benefit me too, General,” he assured him. “So, do we have a deal? Will you count with my support?”

“Under the condition that you or your men will follow my instructions, then yes. We have a deal.”

“Great! So we can have a little toss on that. Cameron, please...”

Karnaka was smiling satisfied, when his servant started to prepare two glasses, but was careful not to overdo it. He knew he could handle this General too. It was not as easy as usual, and the man remained suspicious, but for the moment he was the winner. No matter, what resources he used for it. Of course, that he altered that story a little...

Brad did find out the Blackfeet´s location, despite Karnaka had not so big expectations from him, but the story with Sioux was different. It was really by chance, when he spotted one Blackfeet Indian sneaking through the forest and followed him. And then he found out that the Chief´s son was the member of the rebels´ group. It looked like nobody else from the village knew about it, nobody was helping the Sioux. The rebels met with just that one Indian. But that was not necessary for Major General Ord to know...

***

 

Suddenly the time was moving forward quite fast, but the healing processes going on and inside his body kept being damn slow. Despite moving on his own and winning over the fever, infection and numbness, Jin still felt weak and the annoying itching and dull pains stubbornly refused to leave him. He got tired if he kept walking for too long and he couldn´t ride on his beloved horse more than a few minutes without putting his stomach under the danger of opening that ugly wound again. His weakness and inability to get rid of it was driving him mad. Especially when he saw how anxious Liwan and also Kame were about staying in the abandoned pueblo.

One evening Kazuya told them about seeing the Chief´s son - Manipi in the group of Sioux rebels. After the soldiers arrived into the town, the younger one was really worried that it might mean huge problems for the Blackfeet Tribe, if even the slightest suspicion fell on them, no matter what attitude General Ord would take as Karnaka was concerned. Kame wanted to solve it directly with the Chief and leave for the Indians´ winter resort as soon as possible, as well as Liwan. They didn´t say it, but Jin was not stupid and he figured it out - he was the one holding them back now.

Even though he was trying really hard to get over it, so that they could move finally, it didn´t help much... Instead of appreciation he was usually scolded, that he overworked himself. He knew they were both right, when they said he had to take it slowly. And even when Jin was willing to risk the journey to the tribe, as he didn´t want to be a burden any longer, Liwan insisted they had to stay on the place for a few more days.

There was one more thing to add to his troubled state. Jin still didn´t know how to cope with the various feelings, which flooded him every single time he got close to Kame. Which didn´t happen so often in overall, as it seemed that Kame was avoiding his presence.

Since they shared that emotional moment during the crimson sunset, something changed between them. They communicated normally, there was not anything negative in their mutual relation, but Jin couldn´t repay Kame´s glance without a tense shaky feeling inside of him. A few times he caught himself peeking up on the younger one; especially in the moments he was sure Kazuya could not see him. He observed the features of his face, he watched him as he walked around the fire, adding the wood in it, or preparing their meals.

Actually, the _change_ was not a right word for what happened. There was something what got stronger. Jin couldn´t help but think on what happened before their paths had separated for a while, when he was forced to go to Karnaka and Kame to search for Sioux in the woods. Quite more often, than he was ever willing to admit, he remembered that evening, when they kissed.

The more of time passed, which they spent in the village, the more aware of each Kame´s movement he was. And remembering their ride on Ukushi, which felt so damn good having Kame in his arms, didn´t help much. Jin started to realize that despite his conviction, that it was right when they remained being only friends, his heart was telling him something else. And it was becoming quite a loud calling...

During the long dark evenings, before he was able to fall asleep, he was pondering about what exactly was that shaky warm feeling. Somewhere deep inside he knew what it was. He even knew what he wanted to do about it, only there was still something what was preventing him from admitting it to himself.

Jin liked Kame a lot, he cared about him; the handsome guy was somebody, he could rely on fully, somebody he could trust. He felt incredibly grateful to him, for getting him out of the imprisonment on Karnaka´s farm. There was no border to his appreciation for that Kame didn´t give up on him and got him out no matter the consequences. He also felt sorry, that he couldn´t get to know a mother of this brave young bartender more and he still felt guilty because she died, while he survived.

Seeing Kame´s pain hurt Jin too, when he remembered that time he saw tears in his eyes, it still griped his heart into the painful clutch. He was willing to do anything to pay Kame back for what he did for him. And he had damn a lot for repayment. But that was not all...

That attraction to the beautiful guy, which made Jin to kiss his soft lips before, didn´t disappear, it just turned into something so powerful, that he was helpless fighting it. Gradually he noticed that he seeks for Kame´s companionship as much as the other one avoids his. Every time he realized that Kame is trying to keep his distance carefully, he scolded himself and backed off. Only to find himself doing it again...

Jin didn´t say a word aloud about all of this. Despite the whirlwind of emotions inside, he was trying to pretend that there was nothing wrong, but he was not sure about the result. A few times he noticed Liwan´s observing look on himself, but the Indian didn´t comment their behaviour either. And Jin had no courage to approach Kame and talk with him directly. Not after all what happened...

Even when he had to admit to his stubborn inner self, that he liked the younger man much more than he should have, he just couldn´t say it. But there was no way he could deny it to himself anymore, not after what he felt during those days, when he was tortured by Grenet or when he was raving in fever. He remembered more than well that his thoughts were always around Kazuya...

What was it, if not...

Jin almost slapped himself, just to chase the word away and forcefully tore his eyes off the slim figure, which was approaching the fire, where he watched over their lunch this time. Kame was taking care of their horses, while Liwan was away somewhere in the woods hunting, as their supplies were significantly reduced by Jin´s hungry stomach.

“Liwan isn´t back yet?” Kame asked after he threw another portion of dry sticks onto the pile nearby.

“No...” Jin murmured gloomily, feeling a little down for not being able of some self-control.

He felt the look, which Kame gave him before he settled down on his favourite log on the other side of the fireplace, but he kept stubbornly staring at the content of the small pot.

“Would you mind if I take Kuro for a small ride tomorrow? He seems a little nervous from remaining on one place all the time...”

“I can clearly imagine,” Jin snorted, maybe a little more upset than he intended. “Of course you can,” he added then hastily. “Even though I´d rather ride on him myself...”

“I know...” there was a kind response. “Just hold on, Jin. You´ll be completely all right soon, you´ll see.”

Jin just sighed, not saying anything. Even though it was only a few days, he was nervous from doing nothing at all. And despite he didn´t want to talk about his feelings, there was one thing which was bugging him at the edge of his tongue, just to slip out, but his worries kept it back every time. He usually used Liwan as an excuse, as he wanted to talk about it with Kazuya in privacy, and there were not many moments, when the Indian was gone, letting the two of them there.

But they were alone at the moment, weren´t they? If he didn´t say it right away, when then?

“There is something I need to tell you, Kame,” he stated with an uncertain voice. “I can´t... I just can´t keep it away from you...”

Jin noticed his own hand shaking a little, but when he started once, he was determined to pull it to the end.

“What is it?” Kame asked, still keeping his eyes on Jin.

“I...” he started again and stopped, the next words stuck in his throat.

_Damn, I don´t need to be so frightened, do I? There is no reason for it! There is no way that Kazuya would judge me because of this..._

And then Kame spoke again, almost as if he heard his thoughts: “Don´t worry, Jin. No matter what it is, you can tell me,” he stated seriously.

“It´s about my father,” Jin finally got through his lips. “I´ve told you he worked for Karnaka once, right?”

Kame nodded slowly: “Yeah, I remember...”

“Well... Before I was captured on the farm, I was given a task to prove myself being loyal to Karnaka. He ordered me...” Jin paused and clenched his hands into fists. “He ordered me to kill your mother and you.”

Kame stiffened staring at him.

“It doesn´t matter, what he wanted from you, Jin,” he said on a quiet voice then. “I know you wouldn´t have done it.”

“Of course, I wouldn´t! No matter what, but...” Jin confirmed with his back stiffened and eyes focused on the fire. “There is something else,” he took a deep breath and got the courage to raise his look and lock it with Kame´s. “He said that it would be right for me to finish what my father started...”

 

Kazuya´s eyes widened a little. He didn´t say anything for a long moment, slowly realizing what Jin´s words meant. The older one was looking at him, his face worried and full of remorse.

“Kame, my father was one of those who... Who...”

Jin didn´t need to finish, Kame already knew. The older Akanishi was a member of the group, which killed his father and brothers.

“I wanted to tell you earlier...” Jin continued shakily. “I feel so horrible about this, Kame, I... I couldn´t believe when I heard it... It was like a cruel joke...”

“I cannot blame you for who your father was or what he did, Jin,” Kame stated slowly, his voice deep and moved by emotions. “I already know you and I know what relationship you had with him... I...”

Kazuya stopped, feeling his whole body shaking a little and his head like after he would have got a pretty hard hit. He meant what he said honestly, but still... This was cruel news to know. The destiny was playing out with their lives again and again and again...

Jin´s face had lightened up with hope, when he spoke this time: “So, it will not change...” he started uncertainly.

“No, it will not change anything between us,” Kazuya assured him firmly, despite another aching dagger in his heart. “I promise.”

The older one hesitated: “But still...”

“Jin,” Kame spoke out his name with such a strong emphasize, that it made Jin to shut his mouth. But there was still that haunted look in his eyes, which Kame was determined to erase. It was enough of misunderstanding between them already. “To prove you that I mean it... I wanted to ask you something for some time now...” now Kame´s voice was the hesitant one and he let his eyes to escape to the flames. “After you recover, do you want to go with us? To the tribe?”

The older one raised his eyebrows surprised.

 

“What is this question for?” Jin breathed out baffled. “I have nowhere else to go, Kame.”

“Aah, right...”

Jin stiffened hearing that reaction, as Kame sounded sad. Somehow he felt that it was not the right answer to give. He kept silent for a while, feeling his throat too narrow, before he could speak again. He wanted to remedy what he did, even though he was not sure what he did wrong.

“I want to go where you will go, Kazu,” he blurted out frankly.

Their eyes finally met, as Kame raised them up immediately, hearing his words. And there it was again. That warm tense shaking, which started in Jin´s chest, went up to his neck, warming him up much more than the fire and then going to settle down in the stomach, where it created the tenseness, which was not exactly unpleasant...

They stared at each other, as if they froze in the space and time. It couldn´t have been more than a few seconds, but it felt like ages for Jin. Not for the first time he was grateful to hear the neighing of Liwan´s stallion, which tore them off this frozen state. They both looked in the direction of approaching Indian, who was returning in much faster pace than they would have expected.

“We have a problem...” Liwan said even before he stopped the horse. “Kame, come with me. I must show you something.”

Kame stood up immediately, but he was not the only one. Jin straightened himself too.

“I´m going with you,” he stated, already too annoyed by being left out of everything. He was not in his fully healthy condition, but he could move.

“You shouldn´t...” Kame started.

“I´m going,” Jin repeated stubbornly, not even letting Kame finish the sentence.

The younger one was looking at him for a while, before he turned to Liwan.

“How far is it?”

“Half an hour, not more,” the Indian´s response was.

*

 

“Shit...” Jin breathed out shocked, after he was able to recognize what meant that moving line of blue, deep down in the valley in front of their eyes. “There are so many of them...”

“They may look for the Sioux...” Kame suggested hesitantly.

“Right here on our territory?!” Liwan exclaimed. “You don´t believe it yourself! You told me that the attacks are happening in the north.”

Kame, settled next to Jin, kept looking down there frowning deeply.

“You think that they are coming after the tribe? That they somehow found out about Manipi?” he asked his friend slowly.

“It is more than possible, don´t you think?” the Indian reacted upset. “Somebody else then you could see him.”

“I should have talked about it earlier,” Kame sighed gloomily.

“But how could they find it out?” Jin joined in their conversation. “If you told Walker you didn´t recognize anyone...”

Kame gave him a short glance: “Maybe something happened, something what we don´t know about...”

“Our Chief must know about this. And about what you saw too,” Liwan stated firmly.

“I know and I agree,” Kame nodded seriously. “You should set off today. We will take care of the rest of stuff in the pueblo and follow you later.”

The Indian pierced the younger man with the sharp look, glowering darkly.

“What are you up to, Kame?” he asked suddenly suspicious.

Kame fidgeted on his spot, before replying not very willingly: “I will go and ask them directly.”

“What?! Why? Why going right into troubles again?!” Liwan burst out, while Jin was looking at Kame with clear disapproval in his face too.

“I want to avoid any unnecessary troubles, that´s why,” Kame snorted. “General Ord seemed like a reasonable man; Captain Walker will be there for sure too. I believe they will be open to discussion if anything happened, what made them to focus on your tribe again. We can avoid a lot of useless panic like that.”

His reasoning was good and Liwan had to think about his next objection longer: “What if they don´t like what you did? Back in city? What if they restrain you or...”

“They have nothing against me, I will be fine,” Kame reacted firmly. “I did nothing wrong, they cannot arrest me or something... You know I´m right, Liwan, do not argue with me. You go to the tribe, tell the Chief about everything and let´s meet again in three days.”

The Indian stared at the moving line in the distance, obviously not satisfied with the result of the conversation, but then he nodded shortly.

“All right, I´ll go right away,” he stated looking at Kame again. “Do you remember that cave where we were hiding a few times?”

“Yes, I´ll find it, I think,” Kame nodded slowly.

“Let´s meet there within three days; I will lead you to our place then. Our winter sanctuary is new; I doubt you would find it.”

*

 

All three of them left their spying position and went down the steep hill back to their waiting horses. Liwan jumped up his stallion first and gave the last look to the two guys. He really didn´t like the idea of letting Kame do what he thought of, but he had to admit it was a good idea. And moreover, as he watched those two during past days, some private time might help to ease that sparkling tension between them, which was as obvious as much they tried to cover it.

There was a tiny pinch of jealousy in Liwan´s chest, maybe even envy, but all things considered, this might have been for Kame´s good in the end. One of the things he would like to see the most was his best friend to be happy, if it was possible.

So Liwan just nodded his head for the farewell, incited his strong horse to move and then to the fast trot, leaving the two guys behind him...


	34. Voice of heart

**J** in and Kazuya remained together alone.

During their journey back to the village, Kame explained to Jin, why the whole situation was so complicated and the reasons for him and Liwan to get so worried. As Manipi was the Tribal Chief´s oldest son, it was almost unthinkable to accuse him without a proper proof, which they didn´t have. Kame wanted to discuss it with the Chief personally, but he had no chance to talk with the old Indian since the incident. He was still troubled by it, even though Liwan promised to solve it with Flying Feather and the Council of Elders on his behalf.

After they had just made at least some agreement with Captain Walker, it would have been really inconvenient if the soldiers found out about Manipi being involved in the attacks on the railway. It would have put the whole Blackfeet Tribe into danger again.

Actually, Jin was not surprised even a little by that arrogant asshole having his part in the troubles with Sioux, but he had his doubts if it was true, that nobody else from the Indian tribe knew about it. But Kame seemed quite sure and Jin didn´t want to argue with him. On the other hand, he was more than prepared to discuss the upcoming meeting with slowly approaching soldiers. He had absolutely no intention to let Kazuya go there alone.

It didn´t take them long to get to the pueblo. While Kame started to make all necessary preparations, so that they could leave the next day, Jin was assigned with the fire inside the wigwam and their meal. He was not very thrilled about letting all heavy things on Kame, but he knew that thanks to his still so weak hands with almost no nails, which only started to grow back, he would have been more a burden than a help. Sometimes he really wished for being given more patience than he had...

*

 

Kame took a good care of the horses, covered the last campfire set outside with heavy branches, hid all unnecessary stuff into the hideout under the ground, and gathered all wood and remaining provisions at one place. He intended to put the last wigwam down right in the morning, as they would have frozen during the night without it. With each passed day, the temperature was getting down quite rapidly.

The night was already falling down, when he went for some fresh water to the streamlet in the woods. Heading back to the wigwam, he was pondering about if it really was a wise idea to march right to the soldiers unit and try to gather more information... But he could not think of any better plan at the moment.

There were some quiet and very unusual sounds coming from their shelter, which he recognized only when he had already reached the entrance, and his hand stopped in the middle of the movement for opening it. It was the strumming on the guitar.

There were some irregular gaps in the melody of a song, which he didn´t know, but it sounded nice anyway. Kame remained standing there, listening to the play. Somehow it reached out to him, and made him to get lost in it for a while, before the song ended and the following silence broke the spell.

He took a deep breath and made his legs and hand to move again. The dark orbs focused on him right away, when he appeared inside the wigwam. Jin was sitting near the fireplace still holding the instrument with a somehow depressed expression. And now Kame also realized, why the melody didn´t sound so well. Jin couldn´t play on it without nails; he could only try it, using the plectrum instead.

“It sounded horrible, right?” Jin said with a sad grin. “It will take ages before I can play properly again,” he huffed depressed, watching the red tips of his fingers.

Kame shook his head slightly and put the water aside.

“Not ages, Jin,” he objected softly. “It will take approximately three months before they will grow out again completely. Maybe a little more...”

“Oh, no, that´s even more than ages!” Jin whined hearing the information.

“It didn´t sound that bad at all,” Kame tried to comfort him.

The dark glance narrowed suspiciously: “Really?”

The younger one nodded firmly: “Really. I liked it.”

“Well, thanks...” the other one murmured and put the guitar back to its shelter. “Anyway, I guess I should be grateful that Grenet didn´t manage to proceed to cutting my fingers off. Those would have hardly grown back again...”

Kame´s stomach clutched anxiously only at the idea that something like that might have happened. And the mention of Jin´s injuries reminded him that they had already missed the time for repeated greasing of the healing ointment.

He went to the side of wigwam, where he left his stuff and also the herbs and other things used for treating the wounds, while Jin replaced himself to the opposite side very carefully, putting the guitar´s sheath away and started to search for something in his bag. Kame prepared the ointment and new bandages, turning back to see Jin still digging in his stuff.

“Damn, I´m sure it was here...”

“What are you looking for?” Kame asked and sat down next to the fire. “Lena might forget something in your room at the saloon.”

“Lena?” Jin repeated slowly and turned his head. “Who´s Lena?”

“My friend from Bozeman. I asked her for getting your stuff instead of me,” Kame explained. “She was the one who... Who tried to help my mother. I told you about it before.”

“Ah, right...” the older one turned the attention back to his things, continuing the search. “Hmm, I don´t think it was somewhere in the room. I´m sure I left it inside the bag...”

“You can try to find it later... We should put the new healing layers on you now,” Kame suggested slowly.

“Just a second... Yes, here it is!” Jin raised his hand in the victorious move, holding a small flask in it.

Kame raised his eyebrows, seeing that wanted treasure.

“Is it _not_ what I think it is, right?”

“Depends on what you think it is,” Jin grinned, sneaking back to his place.

The younger one frowned strictly, trying to ignore that almost cute expression Jin had at the moment: “You said that it was your last one before...”

“Well, fortunately I was clever enough to buy more from dear Harada,” more than a satisfied reply came. “He said this is the best whiskey on the west.”

“You should not drink alcohol yet,” Kame scolded the other one, but he couldn´t make himself to say it more coldly.

“Why not? What damage can it do?” Jin asked him curiously, already opening the full bottle.

“Well...” Kame hesitated and from some reason he couldn´t think of anything as serious, so that he could forbid Jin to drink.

“I thought so...” Jin´s lips spread in the amused smile. “Cheers!”

Kame watched the bottle´s top attaching to the red mouth. Then Jin let the swallow of liquid go in and he saw, how the muscles on the older one´s neck moved, when he gulped it down. He caught himself staring at Jin´s skin in the gold light of fire and he almost freaked out at the idea, that he would not be able to stay calm, when he had to touch it, even if it was for the medical treatment only.

“Here,” Jin´s voice interrupted the crazy flow of his stupid ideas.

The guy was offering him the drink and this time Kame didn´t even think about refusing it. Hoping it would help him to calm down a little; he took the bottle and pressed it to his lips. He took a long gulp, almost spitting it out right away, when he realized whose lips were just touching the very same place only seconds ago.

“Are you all right?” Jin was observing him with the cautious expression, when Kame started to cough the liquid out from his lungs. “It´s not that bad, I think...”

“Yeah, I´m fine, thanks, Jin,” Kame replied hastily, as soon as he could catch his breath again, but he avoided the dark look, while handing the flask back.

The alcohol burnt his throat and landed in his empty stomach with the eager effort to get into his blood as soon as possible. It looked like that was his evening of bad ideas... Kame took the bottle of water instead, cooling himself down a little. A short pause, and avoiding looking at Jin, helped him to relax. He could handle this, somehow...

“I wonder... Do Indians make any alcohol?” Jin asked with his eyes focused on the small bottle, probably regretting he didn´t buy more.

Kame couldn´t suppress an amused laughter: “You can _wonder_ about that later,” he assured him. “Now we will check your wounds.”

Jin put on a hurt expression, but left the flask aside obediently and still a little convulsively started to undress his shirt. Kame got up and knelt down behind him with the ointment and new bandages in his hands.

Jin stripped the cloth down slowly and revealed his back to Kame, who made himself to focus on the removing of old bandages to uncover the long signs of injuries after whipping, which to his relief were healing very well.  The shallow ones were coloured in the purple and blue. The deeper ones already had a new skin replacing the scabs, which was a really good sign. After that horrible infection got into them, it could have looked much worse.

Kame got some ointment onto his fingers.

“I think we can leave it without the covers finally,” he said just to break that thick silence, which fell on the wigwam suddenly and touched the first mark to grease the mass on it. Jin´s skin was warm and his back firm.

“That´s great to hear,” there was a response from the mouth, which Kame couldn´t see at the moment. “Those bandages are getting on my nerves.”

“Don´t grumble, Jin, they speed up the healing,” he reacted, taking the proper care of each wound.

Jin murmured something again, but didn´t protest anymore. Kame could feel the steady movement under his fingers, caused by Jin´s breathing and there was still that tension in his stomach, but it was calmed down by alcohol, which finally had some effect. Now he was really glad for taking the gulp and maybe he would welcome even more.

“All right...” he said when he was finished and moved a little to sit beside Jin this time, focusing his eyes at the arms. “Let´s look at these...”

From the very beginning, Liwan took really good care of all deep cuts, so that they were without any infection and were healing fast and clearly.

“Let me see your hands now,” Kame decided to proceed on the next phase. “Did you put them into that herbal mixture as I told you?”

“Of course, doc,” Jin replied mockingly and raised his left hand first.

Kame took it into his, feeling a little colder skin of Jin´s fingers and very carefully put the portion of moisture on each nail bed.

“I´m glad you feel so well to make a fun of me,” he murmured, determinedly focused only on Jin´s fingers, which were bigger and somehow harder than his, but still rested in his palm peacefully, without any restraint. “Be careful not to wipe it off,” he said, when he let it go and reached for the other one to do the same task.

“I will, I definitely want my nails back,” Jin reacted gloomily.

“Patience, Jin,” he emphasized.

“You know I´m not good at it,” there was an immediate objection.

“Start to work on it then,” Kame stated, letting the other hand go free too. “Lie down; the back should be all right now. I have to check your stomach.”

Jin didn´t say anything more and just obeyed his request. Kame leant towards his stomach, noticing that the small burns on the bare chest already healed properly and most of the bruises faded into the light blue colour. The older one looked better with each day and Kame couldn´t even describe how grateful he was for it, when he still had the fresh memory of the tortured body on his mind.

Uncovering one of the worst wounds from all those which were caused to Jin, Kame could perceive his each movement even more clearly, and moreover he realized that Jin was keeping his dark orbs on him. With the hard lump in his throat Kame took the old bandages away and carefully checked the wound, which still refused to accept the usual healing process. He could see the muscles partially, thanks to the destroyed layers of skin; it was dark red and ugly. The old shaman warned him that this one would take very long to heal...

He took the bowl, in which Liwan had prepared the correct herbs mixture in advance and he put it directly on the wound. It still had to hurt; he noticed the painful hissing escaping Jin´s mouth, even though the guy was suppressing it for sure.

“It will be unpleasant only for a moment,” he said.

“Yeah, I know...” Jin breathed out.

Kame finished the treatment, wiped his hands into the clean towel and very carefully he covered the wound with a new bandage.

“Stay like this for a while. I will bind it right away.”

He wanted to get up again, but Jin´s hand on his forehand stopped him. Kame´s breath got imprisoned in his lungs for a second, before he was able to let it go out and looked at Jin.

The older one was watching him with the eyes so dark, that Kame was afraid he would sink in them. The touch of Jin´s palm was burning him on his skin and he just couldn´t move to get further from it.

“Thank you for taking care of me like this...” Jin said quietly and there was something in his voice, what brought the tons of shivers into Kame´s stomach.

“We agreed on non-thanking, right?” he reproached to him softly.

The faint smile made the face of lying Jin even more irresistible.

“Right,” he agreed and let his hand go.

Kame stood up on not exactly steady feet, finally getting away from the other one. Firstly he added some wood onto the fire, as he felt that the coldness from the outside was starting to get to them slowly and Jin didn´t need any discomfort at all. If it was only him, he wouldn´t put anything on it, as he felt more than hot already. Then he went to get another long bandage, putting the ointment and herbs back to the place.

He still felt that touch on his hand... He still felt that joyful excitement and anticipation, even when he was well aware of that it was foolish to feel like this... With a painful resignation Kame took the bandage and returned to Jin. When he looked at him again, somehow he felt that Jin´s eyes were watching him all that time.

“Hold it a little,” he instructed him to keep the healing cover on his stomach, while he was trying hard to cover his nervousness and reached out a hand to help the guy to sit up.

Jin moved, with one hand holding the bandage on the place and with the other firmly grabbed his. Kame let it go as soon as Jin was in the sitting position and got himself a little closer, so that he could reach around his body to wrap the bandage properly.

When Kame leant in, he could feel Jin´s scent, mixed with medical herbs, with the smoke from the fire and the whiskey. By that movement he got so close to the older one, that he could also feel his warm breath on his face. Like that, it was incredibly hard to keep his hands focused on wrapping the cloth around the body, which he yearned for, but he anxiously avoided Jin´s eyes, so that the other one would not see that passionate fight in him.

When Kame attached the end of the bandage below the layers, he moved away relieved that his tempting job was done for now, but once again he was stopped by the firm grip. Only this time it was different...

Jin´s fingers squeezed him around the right wrist more firmly than was necessary and only then anxious Kame also noticed that the firm chest was moving up and down fast, in not very steady pace of breathing.

“Jin?” he forced the name through the narrow throat and raised his eyes to meet the dark and burning glance. And then he finally realized that Jin was having his own inner fight too...

*

Every single time, when Kazuya´s fingers or other part of his body touched his, Jin perceived it too clearly, as it outdid any other perception around. He could hear his own heartbeat rumbling in his ears, louder and stronger with almost each second during which Kame´s body remained so close to him.

He was spending hell a lot of energy just to stay motionless and let the younger one treat his wounds. But when Kazuya was binding that last bandage around his body, and he could feel the fragrance lingering from the younger´s hair and those slim arms around him, he just couldn´t bear that heat rising up inside him anymore.

It was as if Jin´s hand moved on its own will, when he caught Kame to stop him from moving away. And when those bright brown eyes focused on him and that soft voice said his name, Jin felt that he was losing the battle inside his chest and mind. But he was not upset about it at all...

He kept looking right into Kazuya´s eyes, locking their connection, and he moved with his other hand too, placing it on that beautiful face. His fingers touched Kame´s left ear first, before they ran across the cheek and stopped at the edge of his jaw.

Kazuya watched him wide eyed, stiffened like a stone, while it was still harder and harder for Jin to hold back. There were only a few inches between their faces now and Jin felt the gradually rising desire to close that space once and for all. And that desire was shutting up the remains of a certain reasonable voice, which was almost unrecognizable for some time already. Now it felt like that if he did not follow his desire and achieve its goal, he would explode.

Jin moved with his hand again, going lower with it, on the back of Kame´s neck. And suddenly, he couldn´t move forward, even when he tried... It took him a moment to realize why. It was because Kazuya escaped Jin´s grip and placed both hands onto his chest. His touch was warm, but firm, and he was pushing Jin away. He looked at the younger one honestly confused.

“Jin...” Kame´s voice was significantly changed by emotions, that were swirling in his eyes and there was almost a haunted expression in them. “Don´t do this if you are not sure about it.”

He stared at the younger one; his heart suddenly clutched in the hard grip of anxiety.

“Kazuya, I...” he whispered hoarsely, not being able to continue.

“I cannot handle it if you push me away again,” Kazuya added on a pleading voice. “I just cannot.”

Then Jin understood why Kame was resisting him so desperately - he was afraid that it would end up the same way as the last time in the saloon... He was looking into his warm eyes, remembering all those emotions, which were flooding him every time they touched in past few days, and realized that every single part of his body wanted to do only one thing. And Jin´s heart decided that it was just about time to screw up the usual manners. There was nobody around, who would judge him anyway.

Anxious Kazuya probably saw something from this decision in his eyes, because the pressure on his chest released and Jin moved forward again.

That faint voice, which was telling him that _he was not supposed to do this_ was still there, somewhere in his mind, but Jin couldn´t care less about it at the moment, with Kazuya so close to him. He agreed with his heavily pounding heart, that there was nothing more important now and he had to show it to the other one too.

That pain he had been through was good for one thing. It made him to realize, what really mattered in his life. And it was not caring for what other people think.

Not to give any chance to his overworked mind to change this determination, he grabbed Kame´s hair firmly, so that the younger one couldn´t escape and closed the gap between them sooner than Kame could say anything else, pressing to the other´s lips in much more possessive way than he had ever expected from himself. He captured them urgently, hastily and with the suppressed desire, which was boiling in him as a volcano.

First time they had kissed, Jin didn´t think about it at all. He let himself to be led by the strong attraction. This time, he was filled from head to toes with such a strong desire to do this and to convince Kazuya that he really wanted it, that he forgot to breathe. He was able to take some air inside his lungs only when Kame gave in to his firm demand, his whole body softened in Jin´s grip, with his palms resting on the older one´s chest.

When the younger one repaid Jin´s kiss, still a little hesitantly, going to meet it only carefully, he realized that Kazuya was not sure yet, but he refused to give it up. He let his other hand to join the first one, imprisoning Kame´s head completely and he let that flickering burning passion to go free, when he started to conquer inside the warm mouth.

Kazuya seemed to be stunned, as he was not able to defend against Jin´s attack at all, and he let the elder’s tongue to slip between his lips and teeth. When Jin reached the tip of Kame´s tongue with his, the excited quiver ran through him and he finally joined Jin, opening the mouth more, accepting his caressing and welcoming the forced intruder.

Jin´s heart responded with the excited acceleration, throbbing heavily against the cage of ribs, while his temperature went high faster than any shot of alcohol would cause. He didn´t fight his feelings anymore and he even happily let himself to be consumed by them. Because that was how Jin felt like with Kazuya kissing him back in his arms – happy like never before.

*

Under the hot demand of Jin´s lips, Kazuya´s reason was flying off to some unimportant place quickly, flooded by excitement.

Till that moment he believed that mainly he was the cause of that unnatural tension between them. He couldn´t command his mind to forget the strong affectionate feelings towards Jin, and behave normally in front of him. He remembered so well how nervous and confused Jin was, when they reached this point the last time and he was hoping he would be able to accept the older one´s wish to remain only friends. But now... Feeling the conquering kiss, all his assumptions and decision were carried away within a mere moment.

Somewhere inside Kame knew there were still doubts and uncertainty in Jin, and probably in his own crazily beating heart too, but there was no space for it now. As well as him, Jin wanted more than friendship, no matter if it was right or wrong. And he couldn´t fight it anymore. Couldn´t and neither wanted to.

While Jin kept holding his face, Kame slipped with his hands from the bare chest up to the neck, burying his fingers into the thick hair and responded to Jin´s caressing, savouring on what he yearned for but didn´t really believe he could get. But Jin was just proving him the opposite, and it was influencing him so much, that he couldn´t even focus on the normal things as the breathing was.

The shaking sensation from the connection of their lips and tongues was flooding them both. When they managed to tear apart finally, Jin and Kazuya were gasping for breath heavily.

*

Jin opened his eyes slowly as the first, focusing them on that face right in front of him. The skin of Kame´s face was darker than usually, as well as the colour of his lips, which tasted... so sweetly. Jin realized that he was practically squeezing the younger´s head within his palms and released the strong hold a little. It made Kazuya to open his eyes too and buried them into Jin´s glance.

They stared at each other for a few tense seconds, before they moved at the exactly same moment, uniting their lips together again, in a more passionate kiss than before.

Jin wanted to feel more of Kazuya and he found their sitting position uncomfortable. So he removed his hands, slipping down the thin fabric of younger´s shirt, before placing them around the slim waist. He grabbed on it firmly, before he leant back and lied down, dragging Kame along.

He did it without thinking, and so suddenly that Kame couldn´t react in any other way than ending up on the top of him, but by mistake pressing his elbow on Jin´s stomach, right on the fresh bandage, which made Jin to gasp in pain into their kiss. Breaking it and pulling himself apart from Jin´s lips, Kazuya raised his head up immediately and the worried look glanced through his excitement.

“Jin...” he forced through his throat hoarsely.

“I´m fine,” Jin breathed out hastily, worried that Kame might want to change their position. He didn´t want to let it happen, despite the slight discomfort caused by not completely healed wounds. Any unpleasant feeling was suppressed by Kame´s chest resting on his.

But despite his statement, Kame moved up more, replacing one of his soft palms on Jin´s chest again, and supporting himself on the ground covered by furs, so that he would not rest on him with the full weight. Jin strengthened the hold on Kame´s waist.

“Don´t...” he urged, not being able to express himself more properly.

Kazuya was looking at him for a moment, while the long strands of his hair were making a nice frame around his face, before he leant down again, only much more carefully, and reduced the space between them again.

“I´m not going anywhere,” he whispered just before he was the one conquering Jin´s mouth this time. Carefully, he only teased the red lips, not letting the older one have the lead, patting them slowly and softly, until Jin couldn´t handle it anymore.

Very impatiently, Jin let his right hand to leave the place on Kame´s waist, going up with it, grabbing the younger´s hair a little roughly and pulling him closer, biting on Kame´s lower lip. A soft moan escaped the other´s mouth, the moan which flooded Jin with another wave of excitement. He didn´t even realize that his other hand slipped at Kame´s hip, fingers buried into the fabric of the trousers.

Jin let his tongue to slip out again. Probing on the bitten place he felt Kazuya´s body shaking and pushing itself to him more, willingly and eagerly. Crazily excited from the fact he had such an effect on the young man above him, Jin went even further soothing with his tongue across the upper lip too. Kazuya´s mouth opened invitingly again, but Jin let him wait, only teasing the corner of it, as the payback for Kame´s play before. With his thumb he rubbed across the cheek, while the fingers of his other hand slipped under the shirt´s hem.

When the tips of his fingers touched soft and warm skin under it, Kame fidgeted shakily, and tried to move up his head to escape Jin´s sweet torture, but the older one didn´t let him. He squeezed Kazuya´s hair and held him on the place, while caressing his lips again, pulling out another weak whimper, before he finally entered the hot cavern behind them. Kazuya didn´t hold back and sucked on the playful tongue, while his hand went down from Jin´s chest, very slowly, reaching his abdomen and stopping there.

Without realizing it, Jin huffed out unsatisfied and he felt Kame smiling into the kiss. So he wanted a fight then?

Jin let his fingers rub the soft skin, pushing the cloth up, revealing Kame´s back more. But right after that he was forced to take a shaky inhale, and he pulled away from the tempting lips, when he realized that Kame placed his hand down there, still through the fabric of trousers, but right on his crotch. Oh, bloody hell, he was hard...

“Kame...” he almost choked on the name, when the younger one hardened the touch a little. Only this much was enough to even raise the hot excitement. “Holy...” he couldn´t speak, as the words stuck in his throat.

“Do you trust me?” Kazuya asked with the fire in his eyes, but the corners of his lips were curved down hesitantly.

Jin sank deep into the brown eyes, his breathing fast and shallow, and feeling Kazuya´s hand down there made him to wish for more...

“Yes...” he exhaled heavily. “Yes, I do...”

Kame moved his head closer, his warm breath touching Jin´s cheek.

“Don´t move then...” he whispered.

“What...?” the rest of sentence died out on Jin´s lips, when Kame unbuttoned the lying one´s trousers, a little clumsily with only one hand, but still fast. With that slightly nervous expression, he slipped under it, his small fingers touching Jin´s pride directly, not stopped by any annoying fabric anymore.

Jin´s mind was going somewhere high up so fast, that it would amaze him, if he was not too busy by handling his growing arousal.

“Kazuya...” the other one´s name escaped his mouth as a shaky whisper.

Kame´s head went even lower, his lips almost touching Jin´s ear, while his hand caressed along the whole shape of the hard cock slowly and so damn gently, that he felt some unbelievably warm flood going up from it to his chest and neck and mind.

“Do you want me to stop?” Kame´s shaking voice raised the question, which almost frightened Jin.

“Hell, don´t...” he managed to breathe out hastily. “Don´t stop...”

Another, a little stronger stroke pulled a moan from Jin.

“I will not...” Kazuya spoke again, breathing unsteadily, fondling across the tip of Jin´s hard member with his thumb. “...do anything what you would not want to...”

Jin only managed to nod shortly. He was not able to control his breathing or his heart, or anything else at all. With his eyes half-closed he was just able to let his hands rest on Kame´s back and around the neck. Somewhere on the edge of his mind Jin couldn´t believe, how easily Kame´s touches were bringing him closer to the top of the hot wave. The movement of his fingers; each of them more firm and sure than the previous one, were literally paralyzing his brain. They were making his senses, except that blinding feeling, numb.

His hands fell down alongside his body, when Kame shifted. The young man above him moved with his body lower, pulling the older one´s trousers down and his head stopping at the level of his crotch, while Jin was not able of any proper thinking anymore. The warm wet cage instead of fingers around his member stole him of anything else but burning passion, which was pleading to be let free. It was hot, so hot and stronger than anything what he had felt before.

Only subconsciously, led by the rising excitement Jin moved with his hands slowly, burying them into the hair of the one, who was causing him to feel so incredibly, to go so much high that he felt the crazy dizziness, but he was not afraid of it at all.

Wet and hot movements along the full length of his hard lust were unsecure at the start, but with Jin getting closer and closer to the edge, got confident and faster. Jin´s lips created the form of Kazuya´s name only inaudibly, his fingers squeezing in the soft hair, just before he came...

*

Kame´s heartbeats were so heavy, that he heard them as dull, almost painful beats in his ears, while his whole face was coloured red with the fast flow of blood in his veins. Since he had felt Jin´s hard and hot arousal, he was engulfed with the urge to prove the older one that his decision was right, that what they were doing was all right, and that he could make Jin to feel so good, that it just couldn´t be wrong... And he needed to prove it to himself too.

He didn´t think about it further, as he was worried that he might change his mind. He was so damn nervous; the anxiety clutched his stomach into a small ball. But once he had started, he couldn´t hold back anymore. Especially when Jin didn´t protest at all.

Jin´s cock was so hard and soft at the same time, throbbing in his hold and then inside his mouth, reacting on every single impulse. Kazuya made himself to stop thinking and focused on that hot arousal, which begged to be satisfied. He was more than willing to fulfil that request the best way he only could. He wanted to do that for Jin, to assure him, that there were much better things than what he had been through recently. There were stronger feelings than pain.

Jin was breathing heavily, the excited moans escaping his lips, as he was holding onto the younger one, the fingers squeezing Kame´s hair, and his face was getting dark and body was flooded with the waves of shaking. And Kame was indescribably happy, that he was the cause of what Jin felt...

*

It was a blinding eruption; it was like floating in the hot sparkling air.

Jin´s mind remained on that paradise place for a few long moments before going back down again, only very slowly and unwillingly. Gradually he was able to perceive Kazuya´s warm skin and soft breathing again. At that moment, somewhere in his mind he realized that there was no woman who could make him feel like this. No woman ever.

With his eyes closed, he let himself being carried on by the fading sensation back to the real world. He still felt a little unreal. Jin couldn´t understand, how came that his brain, which just started to work slowly, was turned off so easily. Actually, he was so surprised and pleasantly tired, that he didn´t want to think much and tried to push the reality away, so that he could escape into the sleep.

There was some shifting next to him and then a quiet and somehow careful voice close to his left ear, which pulled him up to his senses again: “How did it feel?”

“Fucking amazing...” Jin breathed out without thinking about it twice.

A warm exhale of relief tickled him on the cheek: “Good... I´m glad...”

There was something in that voice, what he couldn´t miss and what made him to ponder about it. Jin opened his eyes and turned his head to face Kazuya, who was lying just next to him on his side, with a small happy smile on his swollen lips.

“You mean that...?” Jin started hastily before the next words squeezed in his throat, as he suddenly felt anxious to talk about things like that. “That...You have never...”

Kame´s smile faded away and he seemed to be a little nervous now too. He straightened up, and remained sitting next to Jin, but his eyes were focused somewhere on the wigwam´s wall.

“No...” he replied in a quiet voice. “This was the first time I...I did this.”

Jin was honestly baffled. He sat up too, very slowly, as his stomach muscles were restrained a little. He noticed that Kame covered the lower part of his body with the blanket.

“Then how did you know...? How...?” he couldn´t make himself to say it out loud, but Kame obviously knew, what he meant, as his face blushed. He looked even more adorable like that.

“Well... Somebody else did it...to me, once...” a very hesitant reaction came from the younger one.

Jin stared at him, stiffened by the sudden pinch of jealousy. So, somebody else already made Kazuya to feel...this? There was somebody else whom would Kame let go that far? Or did he mean a girl?

“Who is it?” a sharp question fell from his frozen lips. He just couldn´t suppress the upset disappointment, although he was not ready to admit, why he felt like that.

“Who was it...” Kazuya corrected him sadly. “He passed away during the smallpox epidemic... It was just a drift, Jin, we were only kids then.”

The emotions were changing inside Jin like a swing.

 _And here you are, jealous about a dead boy..._ he almost slapped himself for being so selfish.

“Sorry that I asked about it,” he mumbled, feeling awfully for spoiling the mood. “I thought that maybe Liwan...”

Kame´s eyes widened: “What? No! Liwan is my best friend, we have never...” the younger one´s face got even redder if possible. “Although he has no problem with stuff like this...”

This time it was Jin, who stared at the other one shocked.

“What do you mean by that?”

Kame fidgeted a little, throwing a short glance at Jin, before focusing on the fire.

“You should know something about Indians, Jin...” he stated on a serious, but still hesitant tone. “They do not consider the relationship between men as... some disease as the white nation does. Within the tribe it is something... normal.”

Jin let the information sink into to him and process it for a while, not sure about what to think about it yet. There were only two things he was sure about at the moment. He still thought that homosexuality was something against the natural order of things, he just couldn´t get that out of his head so easily. But on the other hand, what he felt when they kissed, or during what Kame was doing with him was... So beautiful and awesome, that he couldn´t find anything wrong about it anymore, even when he tried. Who decided that getting intimate with the person of the same sex was wrong, when you liked the other one, anyway?

“But I understand your... point of view...” Kame looked as if he wanted to shrink himself, when Jin kept silent and he noticed that his uncertainty came back. “I will not rush you... And if you still think that...”

After that Jin didn´t let Kazuya talk more. He realized it was him again, who managed to somehow hurt the younger´s feelings. Just after what happened it was pretty stupid. So, he did the first thing, which came to his mind, and about he hoped that could make it right. He reached out, placed his hand on Kazuya´s face turning it to himself and placed a gentle kiss on the worried lips.

Kame went silent, looking at him with shining eyes, when Jin pulled away a little, only so that he could speak, even though he was not sure if he was able to say it properly.

“I admit I still have doubts, Kazu...” he whispered, leaning with his forehead to the other´s. “But there´s one thing I know for sure. And that is I want you.”

He kept looking into those goldish eyes firmly, until a faint smile appeared on the face in front of him again. Jin was surprised by himself, that he really said it, but that was the truth. His whole being wanted Kazuya and he was determined not to let anything and anyone take him away.

“That sounded quite possessively,” Kame reacted slightly amused.

“You are yet about to find out how much possessive I am,” Jin assured him and with that he captured those sweet lips again.

*

When that fire of excitement, which brought Kame to overcome his usual borders and act according to how the passion led him, he was overpowered by nervousness again. What if he rushed the things too much? What if it was too early for Jin?

But seeing his relaxed face and hearing the words calmed him down, before Jin started to ask questions. Remembering they were three once – he, Liwan and Wenity – it made him sad. The pain from the loss of a childhood friend was long gone, but his mood still sank low, when the memory of the brave boy - four years older than him, open to any adventures and experiments - appeared in front of him. He used to be so lively and he was taken away by something so... trivial on the first sight.

Jin looked confused and curious at the same time, so Kame was eager to explain his attitude more closely. But he still had the weird feeling from the guy, and got anxious again, before Jin decided to persuade him in his own way.

The kiss was so nice and tender that it erased Kame´s uneasiness quite quickly. Jin´s touch meant more to him than thousand words.

Up until recently, he felt slightly guilty for yearning for more than just friendship, but that feeling was gone, since he found out that Jin desired for something more too. Though, for the older one it was a tougher inner fight and Kame couldn´t help, but being happy that this kissing-him side of Jin won.

But his overworking mind turned off, when Jin pressed the lips against his reassuringly again. He repaid the kiss slowly, and only shortly, before he separated himself from the temptation. It was a long day and they really needed to rest.

He forced Jin to lie down again gently. Then he followed the older one and pulled a blanket over them, letting one of his hands rest on not completely healed chest.

*

Jin pulled Kazuya closer with one hand and exhaled softly, content like a fed kitten.

“What time do we have to get up?” he asked murmuring sleepily, his hand running slowly across Kame´s back.

“Don´t worry about it,” Kame responded. “I´ll wake you up...”

“All right,” Jin agreed more than willingly and closed his eyes.

“Good night, Jin,” Kame said on a quiet voice, listening to the beat of the other´s heart.

“...night, Kazu...”

And they both feeling happy and safe, in each other´s arms, fell asleep together.


	35. Important meeting

**C** oldness was sneaking up on the bare skin of his hands and neck, until it reached under the shirt´s cloth with its freezing fingers and sent the shivers alongside his spine, waking Jin up from the comfortable sleep. With his eyes still closed, the young gunslinger reached for the blanket, which he probably pushed away during the night, intending to protect himself from the cool air. But he fidgeted under it restlessly, as the wool cover was not enough to make him feel warm again.

After a while Jin realized, that he was missing something else than some protective cloth. There was not that physical warmth, thanks to which the outside cold left him alone for many hours...

Jin lifted his eyelids immediately and not paying any attention to his stomach, which scolded him for the sudden movement, he sat up hastily. He let his eyes to skim around the wigwam sinking in the dim light of the early morning. All of their belongings were properly placed next to the exit and instead of the usual fire there were only ashes in the middle of the whole place. And Kazuya was nowhere to be seen. Just awoken Jin panicked at first.

_What if the last night was just a dream? What if it was nothing but an imagination of my stupid brain? When did I let it go that far?_

He had to take a deep breath before he was able to regain the control over his rushing thoughts. It was only after he realized that even though the younger one was not there, he could still _feel_ him. The scent of Kazuya was clearly lingering from the blanket they shared in the night.

Kame just probably woke up earlier than him. The younger guy got up carefully enough not to interrupt his sleeping time and went out to take care of the usual morning stuff. Jin already knew the other one well, so he was quite sure it was exactly like that. But he didn´t want to wait for the bartender to come back…

Jin dug himself out the blankets and got up. Without the fire it felt too cold in the wigwam already, and he could guess it was much worse outside, so he dressed up into his trousers, coat and moccasins as fast as possible. After making two quick steps, he pushed the entrance away and froze on the spot.

 _Well, I didn´t expect it to be that bad…_ he thought staring out speechless.

Everything, what he could only see around, was covered with the thin layer of white stuff. Jin looked up to check on the low dark clouds hanging above the trees, which were the cause of the small puffy things falling down to the ground and also of that annoying cold. It started snowing sometimes during the night.

 _Great, another winter came soon_ , Jin sulked observing the constantly growing amount of snowflakes.

Feeling chilly just from that view, he tightened his coat closer, and searched with his eyes around the abandoned pueblo. His upset expression melted into a smile, when he spotted the slim figure moving around Kuro and Ukushi under the trees nearby. Both animals were already saddled and their excited snorting was creating the huge white clouds in front of their blowholes.

Jin was watching Kame´s movements for a while, feeling the warm tickles inside his stomach, as he remembered that awesome full gratification from the last evening. He was still a little amazed, that that slim, handsome, and almost half-Indian guy made him feel that way. Considering that only a few weeks ago Jin would have never imagined something like that can happen to him, it was quite surprising. But in a good way...

The strong gust of wind coming from the mountains almost made him to retreat and hide inside the wigwam, but there was something what he wanted more. The fine moccasins were not the best protection on the cold ground, but Jin still walked towards the group of trees.

The snow silenced his steps, and as Kazuya was turned by his back to Jin, covering the horses with long thick blankets to protect them and the saddles from the wet stuff, he didn´t notice the older one´s arrival. At least not until Jin reached out with both hands and hugged the younger man from behind, closing the arms around his waist and placing the chin on Kazuya´s slender shoulder.

The little voice inside his head teased Jin that he behaves somewhat too intimately, but at that moment he didn´t care about how his action looked like. With nobody else around, he felt free to do what he wanted to, and that was imprisoning the other one in his arms.

Kame stiffened for a second, before he realized who captured him and with a soft chuckle turned his head to look at Jin.

“Good morning…” he greeted the older one, relaxing in Jin´s firm hug.

“Cold morning,” Jin murmured gloomily, but he was content that he could feel that fragrance from Kazuya´s hair again in its full force.

“Ah, so... You want to warm yourself up?” Kazuya reacted, seeming to be amused with the other´s clingy attitude.

“Uhm, yes…” Jin agreed, snuggling a little closer.

“Really?” Kame raised his eyebrows. “You can make a few errands around the village then…” he stated sharply, with grabbing Jin´s wrists he freed himself and slipped out of his embrace. “We have a lot more to do before leaving.”

Then he headed towards the wigwam without even looking back at Jin, who stared at his retreat in disbelief from how easily Kazuya rejected him.

“Will you help me or you´re going to stand there as a lost kid?” Kame called over his shoulder teasingly.

“I´m not a kid,” offended Jin pouted, murmuring the words only to himself, walking after him. But he could not be really angry, not when he noticed that way the younger one smiled. In the end, Kame´s idea was wiser - in this damn winter it was better to move anyway.

*

 

One hour later, when all their luggage were loaded on the horses, the wigwam was hidden properly and the dry round place left after it was slowly marked with more and more white flakes falling down from the dark sky, Kame found Jin sulking in offended silence. He couldn´t suppress the smile seeing the other one like that, behaving very cute, just like a kid. He didn´t expect from himself, that he would enjoy teasing the older man. He didn´t have so many opportunities to behave recklessly, and somehow he knew that with Jin he could afford it. And that feeling was awesome.

But of course, Kame didn´t intend to spend their travelling like that, so he approached Jin, when the older one was trying to attach his precious guitar´s sheath to the saddle. It was not a very successful attempt, as the buckle didn´t want to obey his fingers.

“Let me do it…” Kame said, pushing Jin´s hands away gently and closed that disobedient thing easily.

Then he looked at the other one, who was standing there wrapped into the long warm coat and with his hat pulled deep down into his face. But despite that protection, Kame could see the stiffened muscles of Jin´s jaw.

“What?” the older one snapped a little, when he noticed Kame´s observing glance.

“Nothing just…” Kame raised his hands up, stepping a little closer. “If you feel so cold, tighten this properly,” he caught the red scarf´s free ends and made a small tie. “And also…” Kame continued and moved even closer, noticing that Jin was holding his breath. Looking into his dark eyes Kame reached into his pocket and then pulled the thick fabric out of it. “Here… It´s better for you to have them during the ride.”

Jin´s eyes focused lower, on the thing in Kazuya´s hand. It was the gloves, which were originally Kame´s, but seeing Jin dealing with the freeze so badly, and moreover when his fingers were not completely healed, the older one needed them more. Jin grabbed it carefully, touching Kame´s hand softly in the process.

“Thanks…” Jin said.

“You´re welcome,” Kame smiled at him and when the other´s lips spread into the smile too, he knew that the morning teasing was forgiven.

*

 

Although a few hours had passed since the icy morning, Lady Winter refused to release her just acquired rule over the mountains even a little. The sky above their heads got even darker, as it was covered by the heavy clouds, which didn´t let the thinnest beam of real sunlight get through them. The snowflakes were dancing in the chilly air lazily, but steadily as they were getting bigger, creating the pure white blanket on the ground under the hooves of Kuro and Ukushi.

Jin was really grateful not only for the long coat and hat, but mainly for the warm gloves which Kame gave him. He didn´t feel cold anymore, and even the riding was not as uncomfortable as a few days ago. Not to mention he enjoyed the view from Kuro´s back, which included the calm hills, the fading colour of conifers around and the dark shadows under them, and also the slim figure on the white mare in front of him.

Kazuya was bareheaded, so the small pieces of the frozen water were creating a beautiful white decoration of his hair, before they melted down slowly, making the younger´s hair damp. The same fate waited for those, which fell at the cloth of Indian poncho, only it took longer for them to disappear from the parts, which were not attached to the rider´s body.

They were proceeding through the woods following the narrow path, which would have been almost invisible for Jin, if Kame didn´t lead the way. But sometimes they reached the parts, where the trail under the trees was wider. On those places Jin incited Kuro to move to the side more and speed up, so that he could see the younger one´s hands holding the reins and a small part of his pale face. He was doing it subconsciously, not realizing what made him to observe the other one so closely.

After the previous night, the atmosphere between them changed significantly. That unbearable tension from each look or touch was gone. Jin felt relaxed and in a hardly describable good mood, which made him to smile without any reason.

Even if they didn´t talk, it was nice just to be in Kazuya´s company. This feeling was something new to Jin, this comfortable silence. When he spent time with Pi, they didn´t shut up even for one moment, always having something on their minds full of stupid but funny ideas. But now, he didn´t feel any urge to talk, as his mind was somewhat preoccupied with pondering about the snowflakes in Kazuya´s hair and with the memories of the time, when they rode on the mare together… Despite the recent release of his desire, Jin was still yearning after the younger´s touches and kisses and…

Slightly ashamed of the direction of his own thoughts, Jin slowed Kuro´s pace down, following Kame right behind again.

 _Behave a little,_ he scolded himself. _You´re not any horny teenager anymore…_

Kame didn’t seem to notice Jin´s distraction and kept on their way with admirable certainty. After a while they had to dismount the animals and walked down the steep part of the trail, reaching some kind of crossroad, where Kame stopped.

“What is it?” Jin asked confused, as he didn´t notice anything suspicious.

The younger guy raised his hand and pointed at the clear path leading to the north.

“If you keep following it for three hours by a normal pace, you´ll get to the big rocks. There are small dark blue marks on the stones on the left side. They will lead you to the cave in the south off the rock, which looks like a bird´s head. You can wait for me inside.”

Kame turned to look at Jin, who stared at the younger one getting more upset with each of his words.

“What are you talking about?” Jin asked slowly.

“About the hideout where…” Kazuya started, but was interrupted by the older one right away.

“I´m not gonna wait for you anywhere,” he stated stubbornly. “I´m _going with you_.”

“Jin, it will be suspicious, if you come along,” Kame said calmly, but firmly. “How will I explain your…”

“You don´t have to explain anything about me,” Jin snapped. “I can talk for myself. I´ll go there with you,” he repeated.

Kame frowned at him, but Jin already knew the younger long enough not to be discouraged by that.

“It´s not necessary,” Kame emphasized. “I will be absolutely fine. You are not completely healed yet and it would...”

“My health has nothing to do with this,” Jin cut in his talk again. “I feel good enough to accompany you.”

Kame pressed his lips together, staring at Jin, who stared back at him.

“Why do you argue with me?” the younger one asked then.

“The correct question is: why _do you_ argue with me? You cannot win this, Kame.”

“How is that so?” Kame asked frowning even more.

“Because I´m the stubborn one here,” Jin stated confidently. “You are not going to leave me behind. I´ll not let you out of my sight. Not again,” he added on a little hoarse voice then. “You will not get rid of me, Kazuya, so deal with it.”

Just the idea that he would have let Kazuya face the approaching battalion alone and something happened to him, while he would be sitting on his ass safely somewhere in the comfy cave, gave Jin the creeps. There were already more than enough of situations like that. Maybe he overreacted, but better to expect the worst possible scenario, then to regret being unprepared later.

So Jin kept standing in the middle of their path with the most stubborn face he was able to put on and waited for Kame´s instructions for their next direction. The younger kept silent for a few moments, remaining frozen on the spot. But then, like by a charm, a gentle smile brightened his so far gloomy face. Kazuya let go of Ukushi´s reins and made two slow steps, approaching Jin.

Getting suspicious about the other´s intentions, Jin strengthened his stance and took a breath for another firm statement: “Do not even bother to…”

The soft lips, which felt so nicely warm in the cold air, created more than reliable barrier to any further words Jin intended to say. Kazuya only caressed his mouth, he didn´t force the kiss by any strength, just soothed across his upper and then lower lip.

When Jin overcame his surprise, he responded to the tender action. He went to meet it by a careful movement too, aligning with Kazuya. Their kissing was slow and gentle, but more loving and it flooded Jin with the unstoppable wave of warmness, so that he completely forgot about the winter´s claws reaching out to them since the very morning. Instead he felt like getting somewhat lighter. His mind flew somewhere up, where he couldn´t reach it and only a pleasant warm feeling was left.

When their lips parted slowly, they both opened their eyes almost at the same moment.

Jin noticed that Kazuya was blushing a little, and his eyes were shining in that way he had already started to adore, as it made their colour more like gold than brown. First Jin wanted to ask for what he received such a beautiful reward, but then he realized that no words were necessary.

The younger one didn´t plan any objections against Jin´s decision anymore. In a way, Kame thanked him by that kiss, even though Jin didn´t think there was anything the younger one should be grateful for. That soft tenderness surprised the older one, as well as the intensity of the moment, when they were just looking into each other´s eyes and despite not saying a single word, they somehow knew what was on the mind of the other one.

Before Kame moved away from him, his fingers caressed Jin´s shoulder shortly.

“Let´s go…” he stated on a soft voice then and Jin´s lips curved into a satisfied smile.

***

 

The temporary military tent built on the small clearing right under the steep slope covered by thick bushes was filled with tense atmosphere, caused by the conversation of three main leaders of the small army and their superior.

“Can we speed up our progress in any way?” Major General Ord raised his question, not even trying to cover his discontent.

“The terrain is difficult, sir,” Captain Walker reacted much more calmly than the old man. “We are not so familiar with the surroundings and we don´t know where the rebels might be hiding at the moment. It would be too dangerous to rush.”

Other two soldiers, with lower ratings than the captain, as they were only lieutenants, nodded their heads in agreement.

General frowned and kept knocking with his fingers at the small collapsible table, where the sketch map of the Rocky Mountains was unfolded. He knew that his subordinate was right, but that didn´t make him to be satisfied with the pace of their march towards the Indian village. Despite that Karnaka´s man promised to lead them the shortest way possible, they had to change their course, as it was impossible for the whole battalion to go through the certain places. And now that Brad guy was kind of lost in the middle of unknown territory too, even though he didn´t admit it.

Ord wanted to settle this issue as soon as possible and return to his original travel to the south, where he could let his aching joints to rest finally. And this whole incident had been already prolonged more than he would like to.

“What about sending an exploratory unit first?” the younger of two lieutenants suggested.

“We would have to remain on this place then,” Walker reacted immediately. “Mr. Brad would accompany them to show the way. But I don´t think we should stay at one place for long...”

“I agree, Captain, but I´d like to send a few men in advance, anyway,” Ord stated, just before the soldier - so far patrolling outside - came in and with a polite salutation announced the surprising news.

“There are two men, sir. One of our patrols spotted them in the woods and brought them here, as they seem suspicious.”

“Who are they?” General asked sharply.

“They say they are Mister Kamenashi and Akanishi,” the guard informed them.

Captain Walker´s eyes widened in surprise: “Really? Are they alone?” he asked.

“Yes, sir,” the soldier nodded.

“Kamenashi… I remember that name…” General Ord murmured.

“His mother was the victim of that fire in Bozeman, sir,” Walker reminded him. “He left the city soon after.”

“He is that friend of Indians, right?” Ord frowned a little.

“Yes…” Captain admitted carefully, studying the annoyed expression of his superior.

Major General was a good leader, but it was very difficult to negotiate with him, when he was in a bad mood like that.

“Bring them in,” General ordered the guard. “Walker, you stay, the two of you can leave,” he decided, sending the lieutenants away.

“Sir!” the soldiers saluted and left the tent. General and Captain were waiting in the tense silence, until two young men were introduced inside, which was only a little warmer than the air outside.

“Good day to you... Major General, Captain,” Kamenashi greeted both men as the first.

“It´s good to see you, Kamenashi,” Captain Walker replied politely, nodding his head in the proper soldier way, but his eyes were smiling, clearly showing that he really was glad to see the young man.

“Thank you, Captain,” the brown-haired guy said, while Akanishi stopping one step behind him nodded his head in greeting too.

The older one´s presence was quite a surprise for Walker, but decided not to comment on it yet. Last time he checked, Akanishi belonged to Grenet´s subordinates, but he trusted Kamenashi´s opinion and they didn´t seem to be on bad terms. Not to mention that the young gunman was not in the city during that fire incident at all.

“Unfortunately, I do not find anything good on this day,” General Ord´s reaction was significantly colder and he was stabbing both youngsters with the strict look. “What are you doing in these places, Misters?”

Walker noticed that the older one didn´t like the tone, which Ord used, but Kamenashi remained strictly polite. Well, he did not expect anything less from that decent young man.

“We´re returning from the visit of my friends and we saw the smoke from your fires,” Kamenashi responded. “Then we were stopped by your soldiers.”

“Strange time for a visit…” Walker´s superior commented.

Kamenashi´s expression got a little tense and cold, when he reacted: “With all the respect, Major General, I´m more at home in these woods than you will ever be,” he stated firmly. “I think that your presence here is much more suspicious and unexpected. What are you doing with your soldiers on the Blackfeet Tribe´s territory?”

Walker had to admit, though only in his mind, that he admired the young man for remaining so calm and firm in front of the threatening and impressive presence of the old military leader. Even though it could have caused Kamenashi quite big troubles...

General Ord stood up, let his hands join behind his back, keeping his shoulders straight and looked directly at Kamenashi.

“I don´t think that you are in the position to ask me questions, young man,” he reacted strictly. “I suppose that by those ´friends´ you mean Indians from this tribe, am I right?”

“Yes, General, that´s true,” Kamenashi replied very calmly, repaying the cold glance.

Walker noticed that Akanishi was piercing the old General with quite an annoyed glance, but he was just pressing his lips together and let the younger one talk. At that moment the captain also spotted something unusual on the older man´s face. It looked like almost healed bruises, some almost unrecognizable, but others were still clear signs of beating up.

Captain was more interested about the relation of those two with each minute.

“Well, we are here because of your _friends_ ,” Ord informed them stiffly. “We are not the ones breaking the peace treaty as the first.”

“I don´t understand, General,” Kamenashi replied slowly. “I´m sure, that the tribe didn´t break the treaty either.”

“Based on what?” Ord asked with suspicion and distrust clearly showing on his face.

Walker still kept silent, letting his superior lead the interrogation, but he didn´t intend to hold on to it for long.

“Based on their words,” the firm response came from the young man. “I´m sure Captain Walker told you about our recent discussion.

“He did,” Major General nodded. “But it appears that your friends lied. We have a witness, who says that they are helping out the Sioux rebels. I suppose you will agree with me that since those Indians attacked and killed government soldiers, it is considered as breaking the peace.”

Walker was watching both incomers closely, and he didn´t notice any big surprise on them, just deep concern.

“A witness?” Kamenashi repeated slowly. “May I ask whom?”

“Why do you want to know?” Ord raised his eyebrows.

“I´d like to know against whose word there is mine…”

Once again there was that admiration and wave of sympathy with the young man, which Captain Walker felt. He didn´t have the easiest life in particular and still, he was able to stand on his principles firmly. He was so young and already so strong. This bartender had a truly admirable personality.

And somehow, the captain noticed something from his own opinion about Kazuya Kamenashi in the glance, which Akanishi focused at the younger one. Which made him to ponder even more about, what brought the two of them together.

Major General was frowning deeply and didn´t reply, while Captain Walker was persuaded that Kamenashi had a right to know.

“It is one of Mr. Karnaka´s subordinates, Brad,” he informed them without looking at his superior, as he was not sure that General Ord would agree with his involvement in the discussion.

The faces of both young visitors showed almost the same volume of disgust hearing the words, while Major General straightened out in his full height again.

“It is not advisable to trust those savages, Mr. Kamenashi,” Ord stated, not commenting Walker´s statement.

“I trust them with my life, which they saved,” the young man snapped, as he was obviously quite upset already. “I´d say that it is not advisable to trust a man, who is a loyal subordinate of someone capable of burning the people in their own beds! And yet, you let yourself and your soldiers in the hands of a man like that!”

*

The deep silence fell onto the tent.

Major General stared into the justly indignant face and suddenly he felt a little ashamed. He knew Karnaka´s methods, he had heard more than enough horrific stories about that man´s actions, and of course that he expected that the powerful man would never admit his part in disaster of the Kamenashi´s house. Though, his reasoning for giving a hand to the government was justified and it was almost sure, that he really had many problems with the local Indians.

But what if Raynold Karnaka just used the opportunity and sent them against the peaceful tribe, just to get rid of them? Just to have his porch clean out of any intruders and of any problems which they could mean for his rich life?

For such a youngster, Kazuya Kamenashi seemed to be very wise, principled and with the head clear despite losing his mother in such a horrible incident recently. But on the other hand, if he really was a close friend with those Indians, he might have just covered their guilt in those attacks. General could not afford to trust his judgement in this.

The old man let all of this go through his mind, before he replied.

“Mr. Kamenashi... I´m sure you understand that I cannot overlook any crimes against the government. And attacking the railway is a very serious crime. We have a testimony, that somebody from Blackfeet Tribe cooperates with Sioux and helps them in these actions. I´m obligated to do any actions necessary to stop this.”

“Yes, I understand, General Ord,” Kamenashi nodded slowly. “But you should listen to both sides, not to just one and judge according to it. Why did you march right here just like this? Without any proof? How can you accuse the whole tribe for what had happened?”

Captain Walker was really worried that Kamenashi´s words might hurt General´s pride and anger him, but surprisingly his superior seemed to think over the passionate statement carefully.

“Let´s say you are right, young man...” Ord reacted on a much calmer voice than before. “But what do you expect me to do? It is still one word against the other one. I will investigate this thoroughly, no matter what anyone says to me.”

“And you want to investigate it with your whole unit, Major General?” Kamenashi asked quietly.

His question was followed by another long pause. Not even Captain Walker knew how to justify their march, which could be easily taken as the declaration of war.

“There is another way to solve this,” the young guy continued carefully. “Do not blame the whole tribe from what one individual might have done. It is not necessary to march on them with your full force.”

“What do you suggest, Kamenashi?” Walker asked curiously, when General kept silent and only eyed the young man in front of him.

Kamenashi took a deep breath: “Blackfeet Tribe wishes to keep the peace in their homeland; you can trust me in that,” he stated firmly. “Let me talk to them, I will ask them to search for the real culprits and they can persuade them to stop those attacks completely.”

“You cannot guarantee that there will not be another attack after this, Kamenashi,” General spoke finally. “Your goals are noble, you want to solve this without any casualties, I understand, but I´m afraid you are too idealistic.”

“Just give me some time, so we can solve this peacefully,” Kamenashi urged again. “Let me try to stop this without any more bloodshed. I bet you have been in war... You know what I´m talking about. I´m just asking you for some time, General. Please.”

Ord was repaying Kamenashi´s urgent look without any word for quite a while, but Captain Walker already saw on his face, that the honest words of the young man might have persuaded him in the end.

Major General felt really tired suddenly, as the young man reminded him everything, what he had already seen in his life, including not very nice things. There were cruel and bloody memories he would love to erase from his mind completely. And he also realized that Kamenashi was a lot like he was once; he was also so eager to protect the innocent ones. Before he was forced to change, to harden his heart...

Moreover, of course that it would be convenient to solve this peacefully, General just wanted to accomplish it fast and this seemed to be quite a long way to go.

“All right…” he nodded slowly in the end, hoping he would not regret it. “You have a week then. But only with one condition…”

Kamenashi was tense, when he nodded, clenching his fists and looking at General directly.

“They must hand over the leader of those rebels into our hands,” Ord stated.

The young man took a deep breath: “But, General, when they don´t know where...”

“You said they can find them, right?” the military leader interrupted him. “I don´t care how they will do it, but those murders must be punished. Find the leader of Sioux rebels and bring him over. I assure you that he will go in front of the fair trial. You have one week, no more. In case you will not manage it, we will go ask your friends for cooperation ourselves.”

*

 

It was not the best outcome which Kame hoped for, but thanks to Major General Ord´s decision there was still a huge chance to solve this awful problem without much damage for the Blackfeet Tribe.

Kame knew it would not be easy at all, but he was determined to persuade Manipi to stop that stupidity he was doing and make him to give the leader in. Not that he was very thrilled from that... But they couldn´t achieve anything more, not under the circumstances and Kame knew that. If they fulfil General´s conditions, the tribe will be safe.

Considering the still worsening weather, Major General decided about the whole battalion´s return to Bozeman. The old leader parted with them politely and let Captain Walker show them out the camp, back to their horses.

As they were approaching the edge of the military camp, Walker remained silent, but when they got to patiently waiting Ukushi and Kuro, who were guarded by two soldiers, Walker sent them away and turned to face Kame.

“Do you really think you can manage that, Kamenashi?” he asked him on a quiet voice, which couldn´t reach further than to the young visitors. “Handing that Sioux leader over?”

Kame looked directly into the captain´s serious eyes, when he replied.

“I don´t know. But it´s definitely worth of trying.”

Walker nodded slowly.

“Good luck then... And remember, you will be needed in the city later, because of the trial.”

The young guy´s face darkened and also Akanishi seemed to fall into a very gloomy mood.

“I understand...” Kame reacted. “I hope we will see each other again soon, just keep me informed.”

“Of course... And one more thing,” Walker´s sharp glance focused on Jin this time. “Considering you´re here with Kamenashi, should I assume that you are no longer in Mr. Karnaka´s services, Akanishi?”

Both guys stiffened a little and observed the captain carefully, not sure what they could afford to say.

“Your assumption is right, Captain,” Jin replied slowly. “I do not work for Karnaka or Grenet anymore.”

Walker hesitated for a while, feeling the urge to ask much more questions related to the strange turnover of relations, but in the end he decided that since it was not important for their Indian issue, he could let this go, despite own curiosity.

“All right, then... Let me wish you a safe trip,” he parted with both guys.

Kamenashi nodded gratefully: “Thank you, Captain. Be careful on the way back, too. It seems we can expect quite a storm soon.”

“Thanks for the warning; we will take it seriously.”

Captain Walker raised the hand to his forehead, greeting them for the last time and by the fast steps he headed back to the camp, which was just awakening because of the new orders to move away.

“He is a surprisingly good guy...” Jin assumed following the captain´s leaving with his eyes.

“Yeah,” Kame agreed, grabbing Ukushi´s reins and soothing her across the muzzle. “I´m really glad someone like him was sent here.”

“It was a lucky coincidence, I guess,” Jin murmured, approaching his black horse too.

They were ready to get on the animals and leave, when a loud and quite spiteful voice stopped them: “Well, well, whom do we have here?”

Both Jin and Kame turned immediately to see the sturdy man approaching them lazily, with an awful smirk on his face. It was Brad, Karnaka´s gunman and former Grenet´s subordinate. The one, who probably searched through the woods for so long, until he found what caused all of these troubles.

“What a nice coincidence,” Brad stated and stopped only two meters from them. “And even nicer combination of guests... What are _you two_ doing here?”

Neither Kame nor Jin reacted on the question and they just stabbed the man with their eyes. Karnaka´s employee looked around checking how far the closest soldiers were.

“Well, considering that fuss around...” Brad made a face. “You were here to cause troubles. Again.”

They remained silent, but it was more than obvious that especially Jin had a great urge to punch the man right into that disgusting face of his.

“You are so stupid to play with the fire, Kamenashi,” Brad snorted.

Kame´s fingers around the bridle tightened, so that his knuckles became visible, but he still didn´t let any word escape his mouth.

“It seems that burning yourself once was not enough for you...” the man added mockingly.

“Shut up!” Jin couldn´t hold back anymore and snapped at the man angrily.

Brad´s attention turned to the older one.

“Do you really think it is a good idea to make yourself so visible, Akanishi?” he asked him with a dangerous smile. “Do you want to repeat your experience on the farm? I´ve heard that Grenet made it quite _unforgettable_ for you.”

Jin couldn´t suppress the shaking, which ran through him remembering the time spent in the awful and dirty barn. Brad probably noticed some of his anxiety, as his grin widened even more.

_Another son of a bitch in the long line... God, what kind of men does Karnaka have in his services?_

Jin stepped forward with the clear intention to beat some sense into that asshole, but Kame´s hand on his shoulder squeezed him hard and stopped his movement.

“He is not worth of it, Jin...” he said on a quiet voice, piercing Brad with a disgusted look.

“Well, aren´t you two so cute friends all of the sudden?” Brad commented, narrowing his eyes.

Jin gritted his teeth still wishing to kick that bastard´s ass, but Kame was pulling him back, preventing him from doing anything stupid in front of the whole battalion of soldiers.

“Leave it...” the younger urged on him again.

“You should rather run, boys,” Brad recommended them. “Very far, far away.”

Kame didn´t react and mounted on his mare swiftly. But Jin turned to the man once again.

“And you should shut your ugly mouth up before you´ll end up behind the bars just like your fucking boss,” he hissed at him.

“We will see, Akanishi, we will see...” the gunman murmured almost recklessly.

“Jin,” Kame´s forcefully calm voice reached out to him again.

Finally obeying Kazuya´s request, Jin forced himself to get on Kuro, and didn´t look at that bastard anymore. Kame was right; it was not worth of bringing up any more troubles. But he still felt that mocking look in his back, when they set off between the trees.

It was more than clear that very soon Karnaka would find out about what they have just done. But it did not matter. It was far too late to retreat from this war...


	36. Snowstorm

**I** t seemed that the winter wanted to show off right on the beginning of its season. It was only shortly after noon, when Jin and Kame found themselves in the middle of pure whiteness. Even Kazuya himself had no idea how accurate his prediction about the weather was, when he warned Captain Walker about the storm...

The sky was covered with the impenetrable blanket, which made the day to look like the evening. The snowing was far away from being as nice as in the morning. The falling of snowflakes was so heavy that if it had been the rain instead, they would have probably got drowned in it. Not to mention the strong wind, against which they had to fight for almost each step forward. They were walking on their own feet, leaving the line of footprints behind and letting their horses without any additional burden, as the headway was hard enough for them too.

Kame was still in lead, clothed in long warm coat with a high collar, and with a furry hood on his head. Jin was amazed by that the young man was able to follow the right path despite the awful weather conditions. Seeing only some blurry lines around, the older one was totally lost. Everything was covered with white colour, and the annoying snowflakes kept falling right into his eyes. He didn´t even know towards which quarter they were heading to. But even though they were proceeding slowly, Kazuya seemed to know the way and Jin trusted him.

So, Jin just followed Kame´s lead without any doubts and he hoped firmly, that they would get to the place soon. Especially after the short pause they had made, hidden in the lee of one huge rock. That was when Kame told him the storm could get even stronger and the temperature could drop a lot. They needed to find some kind of shelter as soon as possible, before they would get stuck in the middle of nowhere and were endangered by freezing to death during the night.

Unfortunately, there was one additional obstacle for Jin to overcome. Sudden and continuous exertion made all his muscles to ache and it was getting worse with each passed minute. His body reminded him that it was simply too soon for wanderings in the mountains. But he didn´t complain and kept following Kazuya´s mare stubbornly, determined to handle it.

The raging snowstorm held them up a lot. They were supposed to reach the cave, which Kame was talking about, sometimes in the early afternoon. They almost couldn´t see, except that blinding grey whiteness, when Kame finally stopped for a moment, turned to Jin and pointed somewhere a little above them. After one strong gust of the wind Jin finally noticed their destination over there, which was pitch black in comparison with the fading surroundings.

Both giving their last piece of energy to a few meters long ascent above the path, they finally reached the entrance of the dark cave.

Jin was not very thrilled about the idea of entering the unknown place without the possibility to see at all, but still it was a better option than staying outside in that forsaken storm, where his feet and face already felt completely frozen. Kame went in first, leading obviously exhausted Ukushi behind and Jin followed them, feeling his legs numb and moving them only from the necessity of the moment.

The darkness swallowed them as if it was a mouth of some monster. Even though there was no more snow in his eyes Jin didn´t see even the tip of own nose. The air inside the cave was very cold and dry. It was quite a relief, when they escaped the futile match against the wind.

“Just follow me,” Kame´s quiet voice echoed all around. “Go straight ahead.”

Jin felt the urge for a cynical laugh.

_How can I go straight ahead, when I cannot even tell what that means in this darkness…_

“Very funny…” Jin murmured on a tired voice, shifting his feet forward very carefully. “Any detailed description?”

There was a short moment of silence, before Kame´s voice was heard again, but this time normally, without any echo, as he probably turned directly towards Jin.

“Just wait here for a moment, all right?”

Jin stopped a little hesitantly, feeling insecure surrounded by that darkness, but agreed: “Ok…”

Then he could hear the quiet steps and hooves on the rocky ground getting further, while the echo got stronger. Jin tightened his grip around Kuro´s bridle and turned his head back. There was a light round place where the exit of the cave was, and it seemed quite small from his current position. He could still hear howling of the gale outside, but the cave was incredibly silent on the contrary of that. Kuro snorted nervously and Jin patted him across the neck. The black stallion didn´t like being so blinded; just like his master.

Then Jin caught the sounds, which indicated that Kazuya was coming back and the darkness was somehow chased away by the gentle hands on his arm.

“Come with me, I´ll lead you,” Kazuya´s warm breath tickled Jin on his frozen cheek.

Jin let the younger one to pull on his elbow and followed him to the back of probably quite spacious cave.

“Don´t tell me that you are able to see anything here…” Jin said, already calm, without any fear he would bump into the wall, but still he was surprised.

“No… I´m referring to my memory,” Kame replied and stopped. “Hold on, I will light something up.”

Jin was waiting patiently, listening to the sounds made by Kazuya searching through their supplies. Finally, the younger one managed to find the travel kerosene lamp and the dark golden light appeared out of nothing. At first Jin couldn´t see properly, and he had to blink a few times to recognize his close surroundings.

Kame put the lamp at the small rock. The light made his face mysterious, as it created shadows on the places, which Jin didn´t ever expect to see. Both Ukushi and Kuro were now standing in the cave´s corner; there was even some old straw on the ground. The corner happened to be the most distant part of the cave, which Jin couldn´t observe thoroughly, because the kerosene light was able to reveal only two or three meters around them.

Jin focused on Kame again, who just turned to him too. The clothes on both of them were covered by the thick white layer, which obviously didn´t intend to melt any time soon. They both looked like two snowmen with the darkened faces and exhausted from the difficult journey.

But seeing Kazuya like this, with a few wet hair strands on his forehead, while the kerosene light reflected in his eyes, was adorable and it made Jin smile.

“We were lucky to get here before the nightfall,” the younger one stated relieved, and repaid Jin´s smile. “I don´t think I´d be able to find this place then…”

“I´m quite impressed you were able to find it even now,” Jin reacted, taking the heavy hat off of his head. By shaking it, he created a small white pile on the ground. Kame took the cape off too.

“As I said, we were lucky...” Kame breathed out. “Oh, yes, my dear, sorry,” the younger´s tone changed, when he spoke to Ukushi, as the mare pushed him a little, snorting unsatisfied. “Come on, we should take care of them first...”

*

 

When unsaddled Kuro and Ukushi were already munching some oat happily, only then Jin and Kame allowed themselves to rest too. Fortunately, there was some dry wood supply, which Kame gathered together with Liwan many months ago and it was more than useful just for the situations like in which they were with Jin now.

They made a fire close to the cave´s exit, but behind the corner to avoid the freezing air from outside as much as possible. Kame prepared two meals for them, which included the slices of dried meat and a few potatoes roasted on the hot coal. They both ate hastily, because the warmth was leaking away from it very fast. Despite that fine fire they had; it couldn´t beat the storm. Their coats and shoes were drying up on the opposite side of it, spread out on some stones.

After the dinner, Kame went to the back of the cave to get more dry sticks and he also checked on their beloved animals once again. When he got back to the calming light of the fire, he realized that Jin sitting there was suspiciously quiet. He added the wood to their warm salvation, left the rest on the side and focused on the older one.

“Are you all right, Jin?” he asked him quietly. “Are you in any pain? It was a long way up here...”

The dark orbs repaid his careful glance.

“I´m fine... Just tired,” Jin murmured. “You don´t have to worry about me so much.”

But Kame was not persuaded by that: “You know that I have to worry,” he said softly. “What is it?”

Jin looked away and a small wrinkle appeared between his eyebrows, when he responded: “It´s just that... I´m sorry, I didn´t help you much. Back then, at the soldiers... Instead of supporting you I´ve almost caused another troubles.”

Jin´s hesitant statement confused Kame a lot. The longer he knew the guy, the more surprising facts he found out about him. He didn´t expect the older one to consider himself as useless at all...

“Jin... You did help me back there...” he stated seriously. “You were standing right behind me, weren´t you?”

Jin raised his head surprised, looking into Kazuya´s eyes. Kame couldn´t help and smiled at him encouragingly.

“What were you thinking?” Kame shook his head, when a pleased smile finally appeared on Jin´s lips.

*

 

Kame´s reaction warmed Jin up better than the blanket wrapped around his shoulders. So, Kazuya really considered his presence there as the support in the end... Looking at those soft features and that gentle smile made Jin to relax. Maybe he was just too worried about being a burden to the other one, as well as Kame was about his health.

“Glad to know I was thinking too much...” Jin said, feeling the weird tickling somewhere in his stomach and he was quite sure it was not caused by the potatoes.

“All right...” Kame got up and moved towards him. “We should check out your stomach.”

That made Jin´s smile to disappear from his face immediately: “Oh, no...” he murmured unhappily.

“What now?” the younger one raised his eyebrows teasingly and sat down on the blanket.

“That means I have to get undressed,” Jin growled. “It is too cold here for that!”

The amused shining appeared in Kame´s eyes, as he was preparing the ointment.

“Don´t be such a sissy, Jin,” he taunted the older one.

“You´re mean again,” he huffed out offended.

“It won´t be that bad,” Kame tried to convince him. “Just roll up your shirt, I will do it quickly.”

Jin sighed deeply, but obeyed. He put the blanket down and got himself into the lying position. Kame kept his word and he changed the bandage on the healing injury really fast, but that didn´t mean his touches on Jin´s skin were any less distractive than before. They made Jin to ponder about various things, as how it was possible that he was affected by Kazuya´s closeness even more than before they... Could it be called ´spending a night together´? No way, they didn´t... sleep with each other; they just slept side by side, so...

The warm fingers soothed his skin as they spread the ointment over it, creating a hot gulp in Jin´s throat.

 _Damn it, why does this have to be so... strong?_ he thought almost desperately.

Jin had no idea how to handle his own reactions on Kazuya and focused on simply not moving for the moment. That was the best he could think up. The older one didn´t realize that he was holding his breath, until Kame finished the treatment, pulling the shirt´s cloth down and looked at Jin´s face.

“It looks well,” Kazuya informed him, this time already serious and Jin noticed some tension in his features. “Does it hurt you?”

“A little,” Jin admitted and rose himself up slowly. “But it´s nothing I cannot bear,” he stated and pulled the blanket back up, while Kame was watching him carefully.

“All right, but if you feel any discomfort, let me know,” the younger urged him.

“I will,” Jin nodded seriously.

Kazuya got up and Jin immediately missed his knee, which was touching his own till that moment. The younger one hid the bandages and the healing herbs, before he returned back with another blanket in his hands.

Jin had already settled himself with the back leaning over the wall behind and he didn´t move an inch, when Kame went down to nestle himself right next to him. Very close to each other they both stretched the legs towards the cheerful fire and Kazuya covered them with one more blanket, while they both had their own over their shoulders.

After they made themselves comfortable, Kazuya closed his eyes with a short tired sigh. Jin observed his face for a while, while feeling each part of the younger´s body, which was attached to his own, from the shoulders, across the hips, to the thighs. In some way, he could also sense Kazuya´s inner tension and he couldn´t help but think about what would make him to calm down a little.

“I think we should keep the fire for the whole night,” the younger one said suddenly, tearing Jin off of his thoughts.

“So, to keep the watches then?” Jin asked not very enthusiastically.

“Exactly... But we cannot fall asleep, not as the last time...” Kame replied.

“But that was nice, I haven´t slept as well as back then for ages,” the words escaped Jin´s lips, before he thought about it twice.

The younger one chuckled shortly and his right leg shifted a little, so that his knee was leaning over Jin´s thigh.

“Yeah... But we almost got eaten by a grizzly because of that,” Kame stated pulling his blanket closer. “We cannot afford it this time, I´m afraid that the temperature might drop even more...”

Jin couldn´t help cowering a little at the idea and stared into the small flames in front of them.

“Do you think we might get frozen till the morning?” he asked worriedly.

Kame opened his eyes and looked at the profile of the older guy.

“No, that´s highly unlikely, Jin,” he replied a little amused. “But there is always a chance for that...”

“I guess we have to deal with it somehow...” Jin murmured and shifted a little closer, leaning his head back, next to Kazuya´s.

They both had their eyes stuck on the small fire for a while, before Jin was the one breaking the silence this time.

“You´re worried, right?” he said softly. “And I do not talk about this cold night.”

The younger one lowered himself along the wall with the gloomy expression.

“Yeah,” he breathed out, not even trying to deny it, but not saying anything else.

“Hmm, it won´t be easy to persuade the tribe, I guess,” Jin murmured, trying to make Kame to talk.

“More like they will not agree with this at all,” Kazuya reacted pessimistically, still focused on the fire. “And what´s more, there is not enough time…”

“Not that the weather would help us much,” Jin complained, sending the killing stare towards the exit from where howling of the wind could be heard.

“Exactly,” Kazuya agreed with Jin´s opinion fully. “Liwan should pick us up here, but in this storm… He will have to wait till it passes by. It is a total waste of time,” the younger one was frowning in discontent. “If only I could negotiate more time…”

“That would be an easy job to do with Captain Walker,” Jin assumed. “But with that General… A hard nut to crack.”

“I should have tried more…” Kame kept being critical to himself.

Jin rolled his eyes secretly. Didn´t Kame realize, what impression he left back in the soldiers´ camp? He turned his head right towards the other one.

“Kazuya...” Jin waited until the brown eyes looked at him. “You were great,” he stated firmly then. “Nobody would have been able to negotiate a better result.”

But Kame didn´t seem to be persuaded yet.

“Didn´t you see how pissed that General was?” Jin continued. “But you talked some sense into him anyway. Indians should be thanking you for having this chance to get rid of the whole battalion.”

Finally, the worried expression melted into the smiling one: “Thank you, Jin…”

“You´re welcome,” Jin assured him, keeping his eyes locked with Kazuya´s.

The coldness he felt was slowly retreating, for which Jin was very grateful. It didn´t matter if only the younger´s closeness itself, or the fact that Jin was somehow nervous about it, was the cause or anything else. There was no point to ponder about something what felt so... good, anyway.

Jin noticed a glimpse of hesitation on Kame´s face, when the younger one moved closer. He wanted to support him in his intention, but something held him back, so he remained motionless, when Kame overcame that short space between them and placed a short kiss on Jin´s lips.

Only when Kame retreated, Jin decided that their connection was too short and his hand went up to keep the younger one from moving away. Slowly and tenderly he kissed him back. It was an amazing way how to forget that there was any winter outside at all...

When they separated this time, Kazuya´s face was shining with a gentle smile and Jin mirrored his expression, without even realizing it.

“Will you take the first watch?” Kame asked whispering and the tips of his fingers were running across the fading bruise on Jin´s jaw. “I will try to get some sleep...”

“Yeah, don´t worry,” Jin reacted through the narrow throat. He was damn sure it would take some time for him to be able to fall asleep.

 _If we were not so damn tired then..._ Jin stopped the thought before it could get any further. It was not a good place, not a good time. They didn´t have to rush anywhere.

“Give me two hours,” Kame requested.

“Sure,” Jin nodded.

Kazuya pulled away gently and Jin let him escape his arms. But not for long. If nothing else, he wanted to have the younger one close. When Kame lied down on his side, Jin removed the blanket from his own shoulders, so they could fold it under their heads. Then he slipped down beside Kame and hugged him from behind, placing an arm around his waist. Kazuya didn´t protest, but his voice sounded half tense, half amused, when he spoke.

“Don´t fall asleep,” he reminded Jin.

Jin encouraged by the positive reaction pulled Kazuya closer, and buried his nose into the soft hair covering the younger´s neck.

“I will try hard,” he responded, murmuring against the fabric of Kame´s shirt.

Kame closed his eyes, still smiling. Jin knew it was a risky position to take if he was supposed to keep the watch, because it was simply _too_ comfortable. But also, he was more than well aware that with Kazuya letting himself so openly vulnerable in his arms, not falling asleep would not be as hard as it might have seemed...

***

 

They took turns twice during the night. When his sleeping time came, Jin thought he wouldn´t be able to fall asleep with Kame by his side. But in the end, he was really too tired to pay much attention to his inner tension and dormant desire. Knowing that Kazuya was close, Jin let himself to be drifted off to the dreamland.

There was a moment in the middle of night, when they were both awake. It was when the dull sound of terrifying howling cut through the gusts of gale and got to their ears, pulling out nervous snorting from both Kuro and Ukushi. Kame got up on his feet first; Jin followed him with the revolver in his hand.

For a while they were standing just at the entrance of the cave, shaking in the freezing wind and they were trying to catch any other sign of the animals wandering in the storm.

The next wolf´s howling seemed to be closer, but it was really hard to say thanks to the strong blows, which could carry the sound very far away. But Jin could definitely tell that it was more than one lonely wolf - it was a pack.

“Do you think they will come here?” he asked quietly, frowning in front of those few snowflakes, which managed to get to them.

“No...” Kame replied after a moment. “The winter has just started, they are not starving yet. If they feel us, they will run away.”

The loud pathetic barks somewhere in the darkness sounded, as if they wanted to deny Kame´s words.

“Are you sure?” Jin murmured.

Kazuya´s dark figure moved and in the next moment Jin felt the firm grip on his wrist.

“Yeah… And if they don´t hold back, I´m sure we can handle that,” he said assuring. “Come back to the fire…”

And Jin let Kazuya to drag him back without any resistance, leaving the scary howls behind.

***

 

Of course that Kame was right, as the morning came without any intrusion. Jin´s mind left the arms of the pleasant dreams and crawled to the full awakening slowly. One of the first things he realized was that there was nobody to hug, but somehow he knew Kazuya was not far. And it was confirmed, when he opened his eyes and spotted the younger one sitting right next to the fire, handling the small metal kettle.

Jin supported his head on the elbow and watched the other one for a while without a word, not even realizing there was an absent smile on his lips. Until Kame probably felt or heard something and turned his head towards Jin.

“Already awake?” he welcomed the older one in another day. “You can sleep for a little longer, if you want.”

Jin shook his head: “It´s fine, I think I slept enough.”

 _Having dreams about you_ , he added only in his mind.

“So… You feel well?” Kazuya observed him.

Jin grinned: “Of course! I still think you worry too much.”

When Kame smiled, it completely lightened up his face.

“I will make a cup of coffee, if you like…”

“Oh, man, you and your coffee is something I cannot resist,” Jin reacted bluntly and sat up, shifting closer to the fire, while Kame watched him with a little sheepish expression. “How´s the weather?”

Kame nodded towards the exit: “You can check out yourself.”

Only then Jin noticed there was an unusual yellow light coming into the cave.

“Don´t tell me it is what I think it is,” Jin said in disbelief, already stepping into his shoes.

“If you think the sun, than yes, it is,” Kame confirmed amused.

“Good…” Jin got up and stretched himself carefully, aware of his stomach. “I really need to pee and I don´t want my dick to get frozen,” he murmured already on the way out, but Kame heard it anyway. As he observed the older one going away, he was thinking about how nice was to spend some calm time like that together with Jin...

*

 

Jin was returning to the cave persuaded about that he got blind. There was so much of light everywhere, reflecting in the pure white layer. But there was absolutely no sign of that awful wind or snowing, just the cool air remained after the previous winter spree, making everything shine even more.

He noticed Kame standing in the entrance only when he was mere two meters away. He was waiting for the older one with a huge cup of very well smelling liquid in his hand. When Jin reached the dry ground of cave again, Kazuya handed the cup over to him. Jin thanked for it with a nod and sipped on the morning pleasure, enjoying the sweet bitter taste, while Kame focused on the sparkling view in front of their cave again. Jin watched him quietly, wondering about how many more surprises he could expect from the younger guy.

Even though they got to know each other only two months ago, it felt like he knew Kame for ages. And still, he didn´t know so many things about him, which he yearned to find out. That led him to the idea, what it would be like to spend the time with him among the Indians, who were something like Kazuya´s second family. He was already used to Liwan, but he was only one member of the tribe, and as far as Jin could tell, quite an understanding one. But that didn´t mean the rest of them would be like that too…

Suddenly, he felt really unsecure because of those thoughts.

“Did you spend a lot of time here?” he asked from the sudden impulse. “With Liwan?”

“Well, yes, you could say…” Kazuya nodded slowly. “A few days, from time to time. We were usually hunting, to bring some supplies to the tribe.”

“You two are really good friends, right?” Jin continued.

This time Kazuya turned his look to him questioningly: “Yes, I told you so…”

“How much good?” Jin asked again.

Kame frowned a little: “Very… What is your point, Jin?”

“Well… It´s just…” Jin kept his eyes on the coffee´s surface in the mug, not able to look at Kame directly. It was still strange to talk about things like this. “Do you want to… tell him?”

“Tell him what?” Kame asked honestly confused.

“You know… About us…” Jin was finally able to spit it out.

“Aah… That…”

“Yeah…”

There was a long silence. So long that it made Jin to look up. Kame was still standing there motionlessly, staring at the mountains in the distance. Jin gulped down heavily, suddenly feeling the coffee unpleasant in his stomach.

“Kazu?” he tried hesitantly.

“Are you ashamed of me, Jin?” the brown eyes pierced him with urgency.

“What? No!” Jin blurted out hastily. “Why would I…?”

“Neither do I,” Kame interrupted him. “But you still want to keep… what´s between us a secret, right?” he asked carefully.

Jin repaid his glance, feeling tense, but still firm in his opinion, when he nodded.

“I think it will be better that way… When I consider what we need to solve with them, another White Face is just a fuel to the fire. And also…” he stopped for a moment, not really sure about how to explain his worries.

“You´re afraid about what they might think about us?” Kame completed instead of him, the corners of his lips curved down sadly.

“Well, yeah… And I´m not exactly… uhm, used to this, so… I just want to avoid any unnecessary troubles...” Jin tried to explain his attitude.

Kame was looking at him for a while, before he let go a deep sigh and returned his attention to the outside surroundings.

“I understand, Jin… And basically, I agree with you.”

“Really?” Jin wanted to make sure that he didn´t make Kazuya upset.

“Well, even when I do not count the tribe, we cannot behave openly on public anyway,” Kame responded in resignation. “I´ve already heard enough about what people usually thinks about…” he choked a little. “About the similar relationships,” he finished slowly then.

“Aah, you´re right…” Jin breathed out. He didn´t think about that at all… He had a lot to do with himself anyway.

“Don´t tell me you were really so worried only about the tribe?” Kame asked him in astonishment.

Jin buried the nose into the mug instead of reply, taking himself some time for thinking over the response.

“Frankly speaking, I don´t think they would be particularly happy about that…”

“Jin, you underestimate yourself too much,” Kame stated smiling a little and shaking his head.

“Well...  I´m afraid it would end up me running away from the village with the arrows in my ass,” Jin pouted seeing Kame´s amusement. The short laugh from the other one was a clear sign of that this conversation turned out better than he thought.

“Don´t worry, I won´t let them… Anyway, it will be our secret, all right?”

Jin repaid him the smile: “All right…”

“Let´s have some breakfast, what do you say?” Kame suggested, already on the way inside.

“This is your second best idea of the morning, Turtle.”

Kazuya stopped in the middle his step.

“Hey!! Who told you about that nickname?!” he asked so loudly, that the echo reflected back to them at least three times.

“Who do you think?” Jin winked over his shoulder.

*

 

Jin was truly relieved that he agreed with Kazuya and was not so bothered about the ´visit´ at the Blackfeet Tribe anymore. But he thought that they would spend some time in the cave together, before the time for their departure would come. So, he was very unpleasantly surprised, when fast crunching steps interrupted the white silence, as the feet of a certain high Indian buried slightly under the surface of frozen snow.

While Liwan and Kame were greeting each other heartily with obvious relief, Jin was wondering how came that the Indian was already there, when they expected to meet him on the next day. He couldn´t help but think that the Indian rushed too much…

*

 

Liwan rushed towards the well-known hideout by the steady pace, which he could maintain thanks to the long wooden snowshoes. The young red man was full of various worries, which made him to hurry. Not only he was afraid of how the negotiation with soldiers turned out and if he even finds Kame and Akanishi on the agreed spot. There was also a very tense situation in the village, which he had to leave behind his back and he was quite nervous about it.

Arriving to the cave´s entrance, one part of those heavy troubles left him, as soon as he spotted Kazuya alive and healthy. The young man went out to welcome him, but seemed quite surprised.

“Liwan…” Kame grabbed the Indian´s arms by both hands and helped him to come down from the small pile of snow, so that he could stand on the rocky surface next to him.

As soon as the Indian found his balance, he pulled the younger closer and hugged him shortly.

“I am relieved to see you alright,” Liwan breathed out heavily, realizing only then, that he might have rushed too much and pushed his possibilities to the edge.

“How comes you´re here so soon?” Kame asked, letting his best friend to lean on his shoulder for support, so that Liwan could untie the straps of his snowshoes. “I thought you will be late because of that storm.”

“I was already half way here, when it came,” Liwan explained. “There is a small shelter nearby; I waited there until it passed over. We cannot lose any more time...”

Kame frowned, immediately worried by his words: “Troubles?”

“Unfortunately, yes…” Liwan nodded seriously.

Side by side they headed further into the cave, where Liwan spotted Akanishi sitting as close to the small fireplace as it was possible, covered with the blankets. The black-haired guy greeted him, nodding his head a little. Both his beautiful stallion and Kame´s Ukushi were resting in the back, welcoming the incomer with the soft neigh.

“Good to see you again, Akanishi,” Liwan greeted the older man, as he settled down at another blanket. “How do you feel?”

“I´m more than fine, thanks for asking,” Jin replied a little stiffly.

“What about the wound?” the Indian asked next question right away.

“It is healing well,” Kame responded and he sat down next to his friend too. “But I would be calmer if you could check it later.”

“Of course…” Liwan agreed. “Let´s do it right away. I want to get back quickly.”

“You mean to head to the village today? Don´t you want to get some rest first?” Kame asked, observing his friend´s face carefully. “We have a good reason to rush too, but still…”

“No need to rest for me,” Liwan shook his head decisively. “Just pack your stuff, and we can go. I will explain everything on the way. I have snowshoes for you too, but the horses will hold us back. It will take two days at least. We have to go.”

Liwan´s voice was really urgent; so much that Kame got even more worried than he already was and without any more questions he got up to prepare their things for the next trip.

*

 

Liwan noticed that Akanishi was in the bad mood, but he decided not to let the other one know about it. While Kame had already started to pack the stuff into their bags and load them onto the horses, the Indian asked the older one to lie down and checked Akanishi´s stomach very carefully. The man seemed tense and somehow aloof. But he obeyed his request and tolerated the examination without saying a single word.

“Good,” Liwan said and put the new bandage over the ugly wound. “It looks much better. You will be all right soon.”

He looked at the silent guy. Akanishi was focusing at something on the cave´s ceiling and his jaw was stiff.

“Does it hurt?” Liwan asked him, keeping his voice calm.

Akanishi lowered his look at him and it seemed he relaxed a little finally, affected by Liwan´s friendly attitude.

“Well, when I ride a horse for long, than yes. But otherwise it´s fine…” he stated slowly.

“No burning, no twitching?” the young shaman wanted to be sure.

“No, only some itching,” the other one confirmed.

“That´s good,” Liwan nodded in a relief, finishing the bandage. Everything what they had done for the young gunman would go in vain, if the infection appeared again. “Keep being careful about it.”

“I will... Thanks,” Akanishi added after a short pause.

Liwan managed to suppress the amused smile in the last second. He couldn´t be sure about the reasons for this kind of behaviour, but Jin Akanishi was definitely very interesting character.

***

 

Despite that not many hours of daylight were left from that day; they abandoned their dark shelter and set off to the mountains, as soon as their belongings were packed and the fire smothered.

The layer of snow on the path was not deep, but became heavy and damp under the beams of sunlight. The snowshoes, which Liwan brought for them, turned out to be very useful, as their feet didn´t bury even half as deep as they would without them. Though, Jin could appreciate it only after a few miles, when he finally got used to the unusual boots and didn´t trip over them at each second step. The progress forward was much easier for them like that, unlike for their dear horses, which had to struggle against the pressure of the snow. But leaving them behind was out of question and they were handling the quick wandering better than Jin himself.

During their walk, Kame informed his Indian friend about their meeting with General. Liwan listened to the brief narration without any comments. Naturally, the Indian was not very happy from the final result, but he didn´t reproach Kame anything. Which was Liwan´s luck, because if he did have some complaints, Jin would have solved it with him personally.

When they settled down for the night, in the small shelter, which was created by the playful nature from many small trees and two huge fallen ones, it was Liwan´s turn to tell them about what happened in the village meanwhile.

All three of them sat down around the small fire, when the dusk already consumed each remaining piece of daylight. Jin was happy he could get rid of those annoying snowshoes finally and let his legs rest, huddling on the small but thick beaver´s fur. Kazuya was practical as usually, and he prepared the kettle of tea to chase away the evening cold, while Liwan was sitting opposite to Jin with a glum expression and his eyes focused on the flickering flames.

Kame handed over the first cup of hot liquid to the depressed Indian and the second to Jin, who thanked him with the wordless, but the more meaningful smile. Kazuya put the lid back onto the kettle and for Jin´s delight he sat down right next to him, sharing the same fur.

“It didn´t go well, right?” Kazuya started the conversation, when Liwan didn´t seem to talk from own initiative.

“Not exactly,” the red man replied unwillingly.

“Manipi denied it, right?” Jin assumed. “He said that Kame lied about it.”

Liwan raised his eyes to them with a deep sigh.

“Opposite,” he said, surprising both of them. “When I talked with Chief and Elders, they summoned him and he admitted it right away.”

Kame was frowning in surprised concern, while Jin stared at the Indian in utter disbelief.

“Manipi is proud about this, he cooperates with Sioux rebels willingly,” Liwan explained. “And he is also arrogant enough to convince others about his truth.”

“What do you mean by that, Liwan?” Kame asked.

“He wants to fight…” Jin stated without thinking too much about it.

Liwan nodded seriously.

“There was…” he hesitated, searching for the right word. “Discussion. Between him and Elders. Also Chief. They argued a lot and Manipi rebelled. He already started to drag others on his side, especially young warriors.”

Kame lowered his head, half covering his face with the open palm, looking awfully tired. Jin didn´t like seeing him like that and Liwan focused the concerned look on the younger one too.

“Not even his father could stop him?” Jin didn´t understand just how one quick-tempered Indian could cause so many problems.

“Manipi is our Chief´s only son…” Liwan reacted slowly, thinking over his words carefully. “Normally, it would end up with the rebel being expelled from tribe. He would be exiled, banned from coming back. But in this case… You have to understand that Flying Feather is in the difficult position.”

“Oh, sure, I understand that,” Jin replied sardonically. “But I´m not sure if he understands what the behaviour of his son means for the whole tribe.”

“Jin…” Kazuya looked at the pissed older guy. “You shouldn´t…”

“Don´t, Kame... He is right,” Liwan admitted heavily. “The situation was very tense, when I left to meet you. Manipi´s actions will bring only troubles to us. There were enough of bloody wars already… I also think Flying Feather should put the good of our tribe in front of Manipi.”

“Especially when he is such an asshole,” Jin murmured.

This time Liwan pierced the guy with the strict glance and Jin grinned.

“You don´t have to agree with that too,” he informed the Indian teasingly.

“You are so…” Liwan started saying, shaking his head indignantly.

“Interesting? Handsome? Intelligent?” Jin proposed the ending of his sentence.

The Indian huffed over Akanishi´s cheeky behaviour: “So annoying!” he finished instead.

“That hurts…” Jin assumed frowning.

Liwan stared at the guy with a stiff expression, but he couldn´t cover the cheerful eyes. And Kame seemed to have a good fun from the exchange of their opinions, too. The tense atmosphere got a lot better.

“Anyway…” Liwan sipped on his tea. “Do not expect any warm welcome. It will be difficult to handle…”

“I can imagine,” Kame sighed, but seemed more optimistic than before. “But we have to. There is no other option. We have to hand the Sioux leader over or the whole tribe will pay for this.”

Jin was slowly sipping on his tea too, not joining the conversation this time.

“You can rely on me. I will help you,” Liwan stated firmly.

“I´m really glad to hear that,” Kame smiled at his friend.

The young shaman just nodded his head, finished the cup and got up to break some more sticks for the fire. There was a long night in front of them.

Returning back, Liwan saw something. It was when Jin handed the warm mug with the rest of tea over to Kame, who took it from him automatically. A simple exchange without any words and even though it wasn´t anything special, there was something... Something what Liwan couldn´t get a hold of. Of course he noticed that awful nervous tension between them was gone, but there was something else instead. Something what he didn´t want to think about much...

 

 


	37. Dispute of generations

**T** o describe the beginning of that year´s winter as unusual would have been quite an understatement. During the second day of their journey to the tribe, the snow was gradually disappearing right in front of their eyes just as quickly as it appeared during the storm. The white layer was getting thinner under the influence of the warm sun beams, and soon they didn´t need to use the snowshoes at all. Despite that, it took them the whole day to get to the Blackfeet´s new sanctuary.

Jin was surprised at first, when they started to descent from the mountains after a few hours of marching. Liwan explained that when their tribe resided on the higher place last year, it was very difficult for them to handle the harsh winter conditions.

Just a few years ago, the tribe had enough of capable warriors who were able to feed everyone without any bigger problems. But considering the current situation, there were not enough young Indians to hunt, as they were outbalanced by children and older generation. That was one of the reasons why Manipi´s rebellion was so dangerous for the future of them all. If even only a part of remaining young warriors went to fight against the white nation and they would have been killed, the tribe wouldn´t have lived through the next year.

Blackfeet´s current village was located near the east creek of the lake, which Jin adored not so long ago from that awesome view, where he found Kazuya sinking in depression. It was hard to believe they had to walk that long to get there. The water of the lake covered the incredibly spacious area. Two sides of the pueblo were protected by the high rocks and other two by the thick forest, through which it was possible to get to the lake. It was almost impossible to notice that somebody actually lived on that place.

They passed by two attentive patrols on the way. One Indian was watching the surroundings from the spot high on the rock above them, and Liwan gave him a signal with his hand. The second patrol of two red men was placed right in front of the rock crevasse, which was the only entrance to the pueblo from their direction. A few words from Liwan were enough for the Indians to let all three of them enter the natural gate.

Jin felt anxious, as they walked through that naturally created and very narrow crack one after another. He felt as if both sides of the mountain wanted to squash him like an ant.

Suddenly, the rift ended and they found themselves on the short slope above the wide glade full of the familiar wigwams. The kids were still running outside, chased by their mothers around a few fireplaces, while their tall fathers were working on the woods supplies and furs. The setting sun was pouring the scenery with the orange light, making the view in front of their eyes so nice and peaceful; nobody would have thought that some serious issues were in the air.

They entered the village leading their horses on bridles and Jin was looking around curiously. As Liwan went first, the Indians greeted him nodding their heads, as well as they called Kame by his name. But when they spotted Jin behind them, they were not sure how to react and they just observed him carefully. To Jin´s relief, there was no hostility in their faces, just prudence.

Only the boy whom Jin saw in the previous village once, when he was still raving in fever, waved at the young gunman. Other Indian kids were astonished by the boy´s courage, as they were always taught to behave very carefully in front of the White Faces. And their jaws dropped even more, when Jin raised his hand to respond on the greeting. The Indian boy started to laugh at the useless fear of his small friends, when the white newcomer did that. It made Jin smile to hear the excited voices of those cute children, who flooded the boy with curious questions.

But right after that he noticed that the adults were very serious and the atmosphere in the village was somewhat heavy. It seemed that Liwan and Kame realized that too, as they exchanged the worried glances.

They were just in the middle of pueblo, when a loud calling stopped them. A small girl in warm, colourful, jacket like clothing with cape ran towards them, saying something in the Indian language.

When she reached Liwan, he crouched down and asked about something. The girl continued hastily, on a high voice and according to her tone Jin could say that she had no good news. One glance at Kazuya´s face, which turned quite pale, only assured him in that.

 _It will be very inconvenient for me not to understand a thing here…_ Jin realized cheerlessly.

“What had happened, Kame?” he asked, when the girl finally stopped talking and Liwan took her into his arms, lifting her up.

“More problems…” Kazuya replied unhappily.

“Manipi?” Jin guessed.

“Yes,” Liwan confirmed, while his small sister observed Jin wide-eyed. “He left our village with a dozen of others this morning.”

“They went to join the rebels…” Kame added, with the deep worries engraved in his face.

***

 

Up until a few weeks ago, whenever Kazuya visited the Blackfeet Tribe, it was like returning home for him. Despite he and his beloved mother lived in their own house in Bozeman, it had never felt as familiar as in the Indian village. And Kazuya had never thought it could ever change…

It was really hard to admit, that just such a little thing was enough to make him feel like a stranger among the people he considered to be his second family. But that was the fact now, and he couldn´t deny it, even though he tried to ignore it at first.

They were sitting in the biggest wigwam of the pueblo, when the realization hit him. Not being for Liwan, his father Cloud Dancing and for Jin, he would have been ruefully alone against the whole Council of Elders.

The atmosphere under the ceiling made of tanned leathers was getting heavier with each second, which passed in thick silence. Despite that a big part of the whole story was already told by Liwan before, once again Kame informed the Council and the Chief about everything, starting with Manipi in the group of Sioux, which ambushed him and Captain Walker´s soldiers, through what had happened in Bozeman with Grenet and he ended his speech with the result of the negotiation with Major General Ord.

After that, they were sent out, leaving the Council to discuss in secret. It took almost one hour before they were asked by Cloud Dancing to return. By that time, Jin, who was not used to Indian habits, was already so impatient, that he almost left to smoke, if Kame didn´t ask him to stay.

When they settled in the wigwam again, there were no comments to Kazuya´s previous narration at first. The Elders were silent, as well as Flying Feather, who was just sitting there with his eyes closed. Liwan´s father, the shaman, approached the fireplace in the middle of wigwam and threw some herbs into the flames, murmuring inaudible words. Liwan´s place was right behind him, from where he watched his teacher´s actions carefully. Kazuya and Jin were sitting next to each other, basically only the two of them creating the unspoken opposition of the whole meeting.

Kame urged himself for patience, forcing his hands to remain motionless on his crossed legs. Not as Jin, who took one twig from the small pile next to the wigwam´s exit and with a glum face he started to dig with it in the coal. Only when Liwan kept stabbing him with the indignant look for a long minute, the young gunslinger noticed it and put his toy away unwillingly.

The shaman finished the mysterious procedure, nodded his head towards the Elders and stepped away from the fire, taking the place next to his son. After that they still had to wait for more than two minutes, before Flying Feather spoke finally.

“Did you tell us everything, Kazuya?” he asked in the Indian language.

“Yes, Chief,” Kame replied slowly, feeling a little aggrieved by that kind of question.

“You were informed about what had happened here meanwhile, is that correct?”

Kazuya nodded, noticing that Jin was piercing the old man with the annoyed look. Obviously, he was not happy about not understanding a thing from the conversation.

“I believe you acted in good faith, when you went to meet the leader of white soldiers,” Chief stated, but Kame didn´t like that Flying Feather avoided his eyes while saying that. “You are a good person and reliable member of our tribe. But we don´t agree with your solution.”

“It is not my solution!” Kame burst out, justly upset by the statement. “It is the only possible way for you to…”

Flying Feather raised his open palm up and Kame stopped talking at once, obeying the gesture. But he had to take a deep breath to keep himself calm.

“It is true that my son Manipi joined Sioux against my will,” Chief said slowly. “But even the men of Sioux are our Brothers and they fight against the White Thief of our lands and our lives. There is no way I would support their surrender.”

During their talking, Liwan showed some mercy to nervous Jin and very quietly started to translate the old man´s words to him.

“But if you help them, it will be considered as a crime!” Kame reminded urgently. “The whole tribe will be blamed for this! Not just your son!”

“We do not help them,” Chief stated stubbornly. “There is no blame on our tribe; the white soldiers cannot accuse us from this.”

“They can and they will!” Kazuya opposed immediately.

All looks focused at the young guy, who urged on the Chief and Council with obvious desperation in his voice.

“Don´t you realize that?” Kame continued his insistence. “They need a culprit for those murders. They will come and all Blackfeet´s will suffer until they get one. The only thing we need to do is to hand the Sioux´s leader over. They don´t even want your son, Flying Feather. Why don´t you want to solve this peacefully?”

“It would be the ugliest betrayal of what we believe in,” Chief replied, looking right into Kazuya´s eyes this time. “The Great Spirit Manitou should make a judgement over Sioux and my son Manipi, not White Faces!” the tone, which the old Indian used, didn´t give any space to objections. The members of Council around the fire murmured in agreement.

Kazuya was really trying to avoid the useless argument, but that discussion already started to be over his borders for patient attitude. After everything what he had done and said he received only this simple rejection. He was clenching his hands into the shaking fists and he also felt Jin´s worried look, as the older one carefully listened to Liwan´s translation meanwhile.

“I would assume that you already understand, young man,” Flying Feather added strictly. “But you do not, and I cannot reproach it to you. You are not an Indian, anyway.”

Kazuya´s face went deadly pale, while Jin´s one red, as soon as gloomy Liwan translated the last sentence.

“This is enough!” Jin exclaimed furiously, which made almost everyone flinch and look at him. “Are you kidding?!”

“Akanishi!” surprised Liwan tried to stop the young gunman, with a strong warning in his voice, but Jin didn´t care.

“Now _I will_ talk!” the upset guy insisted on having a word. “Translate to them so that it will get into those thick heads properly.”

Liwan frowned not exactly happy about Jin´s request. First he looked at worried Kame, then at his Chief. And when Flying Feather didn´t object anything, he nodded slowly.

“I will do it, go on...” the Indian stated firmly and right after that Jin started to talk again.

“Kame is doing everything he can just to help you and this is how you thank him? With distrust and disrespect? Since the very first moment I´ve got to know him, he has been fighting for you! He stood up against those stupid bastards in the city, he got bullied, but he didn´t give up even when Karnaka himself was his opponent. In the end he even lost his mother! And that´s still not enough for you to trust him and his judgement?!”

Kazuya was shocked by the sudden speech of the young gunslinger and stared at his furious face, not able to say a word. Liwan seemed baffled too, but he kept translating.

“This is a damn different world from the one you knew once!” Jin continued harshly. “I´m sorry, but you´re not alone in this country, not anymore. And if you do not accept that, you will die and your children along with you! Is that what you want? You think that one Sioux is more important than the destiny of your whole tribe? Well, fuck me, but I don´t understand!”

Of course that Liwan interpreted Jin´s words in a completely different tone, but very precisely and that earned the stabbing looks from the serious Indians towards the young man.

“If you do not adapt, you´re finished,” Jin added in the end, a little out of breath. “Not to mention that some gratitude to the only person, who truly stands behind your tribe, would do no harm.”

The silence following after the Shaman´s son finished the translation was even deeper than before; it felt as if the air could have been cut in the slices.

Liwan was not upset about what was just said, right the opposite. Akanishi´s words made him ponder about their current situation more carefully. Even his father seemed quite calm and Liwan suspected that the old man was suppressing a smile. The Council of Elders was deadly quiet and most of them were literally killing Akanishi with their stares for disturbing their discussion like that. Flying Feather was looking at the young man too, but his expression was unrecognizable. As if he was not sure if he should be upset, angered, or grateful...

Kazuya couldn´t tear his eyes off Jin´s face. Those words… Almost each of them made his heart clutch into a painful ball, making him remember everything what had happened so far. And at the same time he realized, that it made him happy to know Jin thought about him that way.

“Young Akanishi…” Flying Feather said finally, his voice forcefully calm and cold and surprising everyone around he spoke in English, which nobody expected from the Chief. “You proved yourself to be good man too… But you cannot decide about this and you have no right to judge us.”

Jin had the urge to grit his teeth, but kept silent. No other words could make the situation better.

“There is no disrespect towards Kazuya. I appreciate his great help and he will _always_ have his place in our tribe. But I will not order my warriors to chase after Sioux. I do not believe it would be right,” Chief stated, making his final decision.

Kame lowered his eyes to the ground, as he didn´t want anyone to see his desperate expression. His mind had already started to make up the various scenarios of how horribly might that statement affected the tribe. Jin was still upset as hell, but somehow he kept his tongue on the short leash, knowing that anything, what might have helped, he had already said.

“And what if they volunteer?”

The sudden question made everybody stare at the Shaman´s apprentice in surprise. Liwan repaid the glance of his Chief without hesitation.

“If Kame is still willing to go after them and bring their leader to General Ord, I will go with him,” the young Indian stated relentlessly. “And I know about at least two others who would join us.”

“Liwan… Do you realize what you´re saying?” Cloud Dancing asked him seriously, looking directly and only at his son, while Flying Feather seemed quite upset.

“Yes, Father, this is my decision,” Liwan stated without any doubts.

Already emotional Kame was really touched by the statement of his friend. He knew Liwan enough to know that he spoke from his own conviction and not just because of their friendship. Jin just stared at the young Indian, with his face unreadable.

“You don´t have to order anything, Chief. I understand your position,” this time Liwan lowered his head in front of his leader. “But we _can_ deal with this in another way. We can spare troubles for our tribe and we can persuade Manipi to come back home... Just your permission will be enough.”

This statement caused growing up murmurs in the row of Elders, who were already so angry, that some of them were willing to take all three young guys pulling their ears and drag them out of the wigwam.

“Wait outside. All three of you,” Flying Feather ordered sharply, silencing the general fuss. “We will call you back.”

Liwan nodded and got up on his feet. But he stayed on his place and focused the significant look on Jin, who was not so eager to leave. The Indian let the guy go out first and followed him right after that. Kazuya moved as the last one and before going out, something made him to glance at Cloud Dancing. And he would swear that the old man was smiling...

*

Kame still pondered about that mysterious smile, when he got out the wigwam and let his eyes to get used to the daylight. He couldn´t figure out the meaning of it. It was more than visible that the whole Council and the Chief were quite upset, only the Shaman seemed to be in a surprisingly good mood.

When Kazuya looked around, he found only Liwan waiting for him a few steps away. His Indian friend smiled at him encouragingly, when Kame came closer.

“Don´t worry, my Brother…” Liwan raised his hand and placed it on Kame´s shoulder. “Even if they say no, I will go with you.”

Kame sighed. He was not happy about the consequences, which might Liwan´s attitude have caused.

“I appreciate that, Liwan, really... But are you sure?”

“Of course,” the Indian nodded firmly. “The future of my whole tribe is at stake. If stopping our so-called Sioux brothers and handing their leader over to white General keeps us safe, I will not hesitate to do it. Also, I know you will not miss this chance and as I am sure that _he_ will go too…” Liwan indicated to the side with his head. “I cannot let the two of you go alone; I would spend nights in nightmares that you got yourself into some troubles again.”

Kame looked in the direction, which Liwan referred to and he spotted Jin leaving the wigwam, in which they were accommodated the evening before. It was Liwan´s and his father´s space as well, and they shared it with them. The young gunman headed towards the forest with the fast steps, without looking around. It was such a good feeling to see Jin moving on his feet just as freely as before his captivity on Karnaka´s farm...

*

Liwan observed the face of his young friend for a moment, before he slowly pulled the hand away from his shoulder. Kazuya didn´t seem to notice it. It happened again, just like a repeated history. Somebody was stealing Kazuya´s attention from him. At first it was always energetic Wenity, now this hasty and hot-blooded Akanishi. Liwan couldn´t help but being jealous of them.

Liwan knew that Kame would have jumped into the fire for him and he would have done the same for the handsome white brother, but it wasn´t difficult to understand, that he was not on the first place for Kazuya Kamenashi... Not anymore.

Unnoticed, Liwan let go of a short uncomplaining sigh. Seeing his friend´s face closely, he realized, there was something stronger than jealousy inside of him. He wanted to see Kazuya happy. And if it was supposed to be thanks to that uncontrollable, stubborn and childish man, then… Then just what could he do?

“Just go,” the Indian said simply, overcoming his own disappointment.

Kazuya looked at him a little surprised.

“I guess you want to talk to him,” Liwan shrugged. “I will let you know, when the Elders call us back.”

Kame nodded, patted Liwan across his shoulder gratefully and without any hesitation he set off in the direction, in which Akanishi disappeared between the trees.

*

Kame didn´t have to search the older one for long. On the last few meters, except the steps in the disappearing grey snow, the light cigarette´s smell led him to the old stump, from which Jin made his seat. It could always amaze Kame, where the hell Jin was able to get this kind of stuff. Maybe he should have checked his bag properly, before he handed it over to him...

Jin didn’t seem to be disturbed by Kame´s arrival; he just kept smoking that coffin nail and was staring somewhere into the space quietly.

Kame approached the stump and sat down on the other side of it, leaning over Jin´s back, only very carefully, aware of his barely healed scars. But Jin leant back over to him right away, without any restraint, assuring him that position was all right. Kame felt the movement of the muscles, when the guy inhaled from his cigarette again.

It took a few minutes before finally Kazuya spoke slowly, not very willing to interrupt the nice atmosphere.

“Thank you for what you said, Jin…”

“There´s nothing to thank for,” the other one reacted right away. “I just said what I think. Not to mention I hate the idea that Karnaka and those capers of his would win. So I will do anything possible to prevent that and that includes keeping this tribe away from troubles.”

“Me too…” Kame agreed. “But you still surprise me.”

“What?” Jin huffed amused. “You thought that you´re the only one, who can make a speech?”

“Well, I wouldn´t be so vulgar…” the younger one replied with the smile playing on his lips.

“Complaints?” Jin asked loudly, pretending to be offended.

Kame shifted and leant back a little more, letting the back of his head rest on Jin´s shoulder.

“No… No complaints at all...” he breathed out, closing his eyes and focusing only at the warm sun on his face, and even the warmer connection with the older one.

“All right, then... But your friend was good too,” Jin admitted, not commenting Kame´s position. Just his voice was somehow deeper now.

“His name is Liwan,” Kame reminded him.

“Hmm... I think I will call him Sleeping Bear,” Jin reacted.

“It´s Bear Sleeping,” the other one corrected.

“I don´t see any difference,” there was a stubborn reaction.

“You should sort this out with him yourself, you might be surprised…”

“I´m not afraid of him!” Jin stated confidently.

“I didn´t say you should be,” Kazuya reacted calmly.

This time Jin had to suppress the amused laugh, Kame could feel it in the movement of his body. The younger one was glad he was able to improve Jin´s mood, as well as his own. Jin finished his cigarette and put it out slowly, not moving much, so that Kazuya could stay in his position.

“Does it take long for them to decide?” Jin wondered.

“It depends if we were able to persuade them or not…” Kazuya assumed after a while.

“I will gladly repeat it to them, if necessary,” the other one grumbled.

Kame chuckled at that idea, imagining the stiff faces of the Elders again: “I don´t think they would have let you…”

“It doesn´t matter, actually,” Jin murmured. “I am with you, no matter what they say.”

Kazuya kept silent for a while, before he opened his eyes, straightened up and shifted at the stump, turning to face Jin, who moved his head towards him too.

“What? Did I say something…?” Jin asked hesitantly.

But the younger guy shook his head: “No... It´s just... I´m glad that you´re here, Jin.”

The face of the older guy brightened up: “Likewise, Kazuya.”

Jin locked their eye contact and Kame couldn´t help but let himself fall into those warm orbs, almost drowning in them, but with no desire to fight back for some air. He would gladly lose consciousness if he knew those eyes were watching over him.

Kazuya felt his own heartbeat like heavy drums in his ears, when the older one moved forward slowly, closer to his lips. He realized how naive it was to think that he can get used to the other´s presence. His whole body was affected so easily only by Jin being close to him… And he obviously intended to make that space between them even smaller...

But suddenly those eyes flinched to the side and Jin jerked back from him, letting Kame sitting there and staring at him in surprise, as he jumped up on his feet. Then Kazuya noticed that Jin was focused at something behind his back and he turned. Liwan was approaching them among the trees.

Kame felt his face turning red, despite there was nothing to be ashamed of. Liwan´s face was unreadable and Kame couldn´t tell if his friend noticed something about the scene before or not.

“We can go back now,” the young Indian informed them, as soon as he reached the stump. “They decided.”

“It was about time,” Jin murmured, but it didn´t sound content at all.

Liwan stared at him: “Someday, I have to teach you how to control your impatience, Akanishi.”

Jin grinned mockingly, trying hard to cover his discomfort: “And who says I will be interested in that?”

“I do,” Liwan replied and it sounded quite confidently, before he turned again, heading back to the village as the first one, to face the decision of the Council.


	38. In the heat of battle

**A** very young Indian was moving swiftly like a snake, placing one limb after another forward to get further. He was sneaking across the wet ground, which was overgrown with many small bushes without leaves, quietly and without any obvious difficulties. In comparison with him, Jin felt as a clumsy bear, following one member of their small group, which was approaching the Sioux´s camp. He was really envious about how quietly the Indian warriors could move, while he just cursed under his nose every time some stupid twig or small stone made the unwanted noise under his palms or feet. It was not because of his incomplete recovery and still aching stomach. He was just not trained in something like this so well.

Moreover, he had to deal with the very interesting view on his right, where Kazuya was glued to the ground, moving just as quietly as the Indians from Blackfeet Tribe. The young man´s muscles were stretching the fabric of his clothes during their crawling, and particularly his bottom was quite a distractive element for Jin.

The black-haired gunman was upset at himself, because of his inability to control his thoughts. But it would have been really stupid to use it as an excuse for being noisy. How would it look like if he said that he couldn´t focus, because one damn hot guy was distracting him?

 _Yeah, incredibly stupid..._ Jin kept scolding himself. _Well, in the case I would have said it aloud..._

So at least, he could use it to comfort his inner proud self and not to consider himself incredibly clumsy.

The Indian in the lead, who wasn´t older than nineteen years, raised his hand a little and stopped at the edge of the cliff, remaining attached to the ground with his whole body. That was the sign that they could see the camp from that spot already. Liwan and the other Indian, who accompanied them on that crazy mission, settled in a row with their companion, while Kame with Jin were the last ones to reach the place, so that they could see the scenery under the short cliff.

The group of Indians with the black stripes painted around their eyes was sitting around a small fireplace, which was letting out almost no smoke, but it still couldn´t escape the attention of the sharp eyes of the Blackfeet Indians. It seemed that the Sioux men had a break, as they were just finishing their meals.

It had been only two days since they had left the pueblo and they already managed to track the rebels down from the place, where they had probably met with Manipi and the others. They didn´t even bother to cover their tracks, as they didn´t expect anyone would come after them.

 _Well, they should have reconsidered it more carefully,_ Jin thought.

Liwan hissed something quietly and then he pointed at the opposite side of the small glade. After a while, Jin spotted the patrolling Indian among the trees. They had to be careful, because the Sioux definitely had more guards around.

Jin counted sixteen Indians down there and he also recognized the muscular figure of Manipi among them. There was also one Indian, who didn´t seem so strong, but he was tall and sinewy like a wolf and the others treated him with obvious respect. From that, and also according to the colourful headband, Jin assumed that he was looking at the leader of Sioux rebels.

Their small group observed the surroundings carefully before retreating back, further into the woods and out of reach of the Sioux´s ears. They settled down under the half-fallen tree, to discuss their possibilities.

“There are more of them than we expected,” Liwan started with the gloomy expression.

“We should separate them,” Kame suggested. “We need some distraction.”

“It won´t be so difficult to figure something out, the question is if that will work,” Jin joined the conversation. “We need just the leader, right? I doubt they will leave him alone, without any guards.”

“It is risky,” Liwan said, nodding in agreement. “Even if we distracted them, there would be still too many Sioux.”

“Ambush?” the youngest member of their company, called Hawk Eye, came up with the idea speaking in slow, but understandable, English. “We have surprise.”

“That´s not enough in this case,” Kame shook his head. “They have big advantage, outnumbering us heavily. And we don´t want to kill anyone.”

“Sounds like an impossible mission,” Jin grunted. “They are armed to the teeth.”

“Another killing will not solve this,” the younger one frowned at him.

“You can try to talk them out of it,” Jin proposed caustically. “But you will end up dead before finishing the first sentence and I won´t let that happen.”

The two guys stared at each other and didn´t notice the confused looks between the two young Indians. Only Liwan didn´t seem to be surprised by their sudden argument.

“We need to catch the leader out alone,” the young shaman said, thinking out aloud.

Jin retreated from the eye-match with Kame, and looked at the Indian.

“Good idea, what about when he is going to relieve himself?”

Liwan grimaced in disgust at that idea: “That is stupid even from you, Akanishi,” he stated strictly.

“Liwan, wait,” Kame cut in, before offended Jin could burst out. “Actually, Jin has the point. There is no other occasion for him being alone.”

The Indian didn´t objected anything on that, but he still seemed to disagree with that plan.

“We just need to eliminate any possible guards around and grab him before they notice something,” Jin himself was surprised that his “stupid” idea might work, but he would have never admitted it.

“We wait for dark?” Hawk Eye asked.

“It depends if they stay here...” Liwan assumed.

“We watch over them,” the youngster suggested willingly, pointing at his companion.

“All right, but be…” Kame stopped in the middle of the sentence.

His mare, standing not far from their current position, hidden behind the bushes, snorted and right after that they could also hear Kuro neighing a short warning. Jin stiffened with his hand on the gun-stock of his revolver, while Kame was eyeing their close surroundings. Liwan´s face was showing some concern too.

“What is it?” the younger Indian asked, as he didn´t notice anything strange. He was warned by two significant glances and Liwan´s finger on the lips to be quiet.

They all listened to the sounds in the woods around motionless. It was deadly quiet. Too quiet, for Jin´s taste... Ukushi snorted again and shook with her white head.

“We are not alone,” Kame stated inaudibly.

As a dreadful confirmation of his words, a long arrow appeared out of nowhere and stuck into the tree´s trunk, just two centimetres from Jin´s head. Kazuya´s heart skipped a beat at the sight; Jin flinched in surprise.

At the next moment all five companions jumped up from the place of their martial meeting, which could become a trap very quickly, and they retreated into the protection of the nearest trees, away from the dangerous side.

Jin started to check his revolvers as soon as he found himself and Kame behind the wide trunk safely. But Kazuya grabbed the older one´s arm, shaking his head in disagreement.

“What? We have to protect ourselves!” Jin reacted whispering.

“It´s better to think first, and shoot later,” Kame hissed back, releasing the grip on Jin´s hand and checked the situation carefully.

“Not always,” the older one snapped and also looked out from behind the tree on the other side.  He spotted at least two unknown figures moving in a circle around their poor hideout.

“If you fire, you will warn the others. Perhaps they don´t know about us yet,” Kame continued quickly, talking Jin out of his intention.

Liwan, Hawk Eye and the third young Indian, whose name Jin didn´t remember yet, already had their bows in hands, as they were waiting patiently for the enemy to appear.

“What do you want to do then?” Jin asked frowning in discontent.

The young gunman felt his veins filled with tense expectation of a battle and kept checking the slim figures in the shadows. No more arrows appeared yet.

“We may try talking first…” Kame murmured.

“But, Kame, you can´t…”  Jin took a breath for the flood of objections.

“Ssh!” the younger one silenced him with an impatient gesture and turned towards Liwan, who was hiding behind another tree, talking in the Indian language to him. They discussed something quickly, while Jin – with the guns still in his hands – kept his eyes on the obviously approaching danger.

 _Kame is too soft in this_ , Jin was pondering over the other´s intention. _He cannot talk out of everything, damn it! I will defend him even against his will and that´s it..._

The threatening silence around was interrupted by the loud voice of Liwan.

 _So, our dear Indian friend lost the argument, that´s just great_ , Jin thought. _But the truth is that I lost it too, didn´t I?_

Liwan called something out into the woods, waited for a while and then he tried again. Jin spotted an even greater number of the suspicious movements in the shadows than before. There had to be at least four Indians. They could still overrun them, as they had advantage in numbers, but they couldn´t wait any longer with their move.

Finally, there was some short response from the depths of the forest. Kame frowned and Liwan shouted something again. There was another quite quick reaction, after that Liwan murmured something angrily and then Jin noticed that even Kazuya pulled out the revolver from its sheath.

“Not good, huh?” Jin assumed.

“You surprise me with your quick conclusion,” Kame snorted, taking more comfortable position behind the big root.

The hail of arrows falling very close to the Indian part of their group created very impressive dot behind Kazuya´s statement. At least their horses were out of reach, hidden inside the thick bush on their left side.

“I guess I´m right with my conclusion,” the older one remarked.

“Don´t kill them unless it´s necessary,” Kame asked Jin quietly, ignoring his words.

Jin intended to react with some very ironical comment, but before he could reply anything at all, there was a quiet sound of the twig´s cracking, which made both guys to look around. And then Jin could observe those impressive Indian bows from the much smaller distance, than he ever wished to.

_Crap, crap, crap..._

They were so focused on what was happening in front of them that they totally forgot about watching their backs too.

By one fast glance, Jin spotted approximately ten red men, who were standing motionless only two steps behind their hideouts and all of them were aiming the lethal arrows on them. Blackfeet´s Indians, as well as Kame and himself froze on the spot, well aware of the dangerous situation.

One of the black-strapped Indians, who sneaked up to them so quietly, spoke.

“One wrong move and we are dead,” Kazuya translated slowly. “Drop the guns, Jin.”

“Damn it all….” he swore quietly. “Are you sure?”

“If they wanted to kill us, we would be dead already,” the younger informed him shortly.

The red spokesman obviously didn´t like Kame´s talking and he snapped something at him. Liwan and other two Indians had already put their bows aside. Then they were forced to stand up and the attackers took their other weapons - the daggers and one spear.

Kame put his revolver on the ground and very slowly he turned around, still sitting with his hands up. Not very willingly Jin followed his example. He was upset as hell that they let their guard down and fell right into another pile of shit.

While the others kept aiming with their bows at them, four Indians came closer and forced them to stand up on their feet roughly. Stubborn Kame tried to talk to them in that strange language of theirs, but the Indians didn´t pay any attention to it. And when he tried one more time, the tallest Indian, who spoke to them before, approached him and without any warning hit him over the face harshly. That made Kazuya to give up on another attempt of negotiation, and the blood in Jin´s veins to boil in anger.

The red men tied their hands behind their backs, collected their weapons and horses, and headed to the woods, where the other part of the group awaited them already. Altogether, there were roughly fourteen Indians, who obviously belonged to the Sioux, according to the black stripes around their eyes. As far as Jin could tell, judging from the full bags and a few carrions hanging from their shoulders, they had just returned from the supplies gathering and hunting. They had to come across their small discussing group by chance. Damn bad luck…

Kame was silent and seemed quite worried, as well as Liwan. Other two Blackfeet´s Indians were surprisingly brave and calm, or they tried to look like that at least. As for Jin, he was already pondering, just how to get out of that new trouble, when they were outnumbered so heavily. For the moment, it didn´t seem there was anything they could do. So, all five of them quietly agreed to keep quiet and wait for anything what might have come.

After a short and fiery discussion, the Sioux pushed them to continue walking among the trees. Not surprisingly, in a mere ten minutes they arrived to the camp, which they observed from above a while ago. Their arrival was welcomed by loud and surprised shouts from the mouths of the Indians, who gathered around them.

They were directed right in front of the Indian, who as the only one from the whole camp remained sitting on the high stump, stabbing the incomers with his eyes. They were forced to kneel down so roughly, that Jin´s stomach protested against such a cruel treatment. And here he thought that his wound had finally given it up...

From this close, the Sioux leader looked even more like a wolf. He was thirty, or maybe thirty-five-year old tall man, with the firm muscles shaped by tough training. He kept his head straight on the long neck and he seemed to be a principled person with the narrow face and sharp features. His eyes were very dark and inaccessible.

Just one short gesture of his hand was enough to silence all excitedly chatting Indians. The most important Sioux rebel looked at each member of their small fellowship, his eyes remaining on the Indians only for a very short moment and for quite long on Kame, who repaid his glance without any hesitation. When the Indian´s inspection reached Jin, those eyes pierced him with the cold cruelty, but he didn´t dodge them. Jin had a very unpleasant feeling that the red man would be even more difficult to handle than General Ord.

And as an expected surprise for the end, the menacing crowd behind the leader´s back stepped aside to let the muscular and very familiar figure through. It was Manipi, the Blackfeet Tribe Chief´s son, who stared at them with undisguised hatred.

Jin´s not exactly favourite Indian moved with his long hand pointing at Kame in a rude manner and started to spit some words out. The Sioux leader let him speak for a while, before he cut in it sharply. Manipi´s face went red, but he kept his mouth shut and stepped back a little, folding his hands across his chest. The wolf-like leader focused on them again, especially on the younger white man, who was still repaying his glance unshaken.

“Who are you and why are you here?” the Sioux asked the short question and Jin´s jaw dropped on that. He definitely didn´t expect to hear English language from the red man´s mouth.

Kame seemed surprised too, but he got himself together quickly.

“I assume Manipi told you that,” he reacted simply.

The leader´s face turned very cold.

“I want to hear it from you,” the Indian stated and then pointed out at Liwan and other two. “They are Blackfeet, I know. But who are you and him?” he asked again, pointing at Jin this time. “And what do you want?”

Kame took a breath, before he came up with the most convenient response he could figure out.

“My name is Kamenashi, he is my friend Akanishi. I lived with the Blackfeet Tribe for more than ten years. And I´m here because I want to help them.”

“Help them?” the Sioux repeated mockingly. “How?”

Kazuya didn´t feel comfortable with the hard ground under his knees and the killing stare, which Manipi was sending towards him, didn´t make it any better. But he forced himself to stay still and calm. Kame was sure that the Chief´s son had already informed the Sioux rebels about what had happened, but their leader still wanted to hear it again. Why? To test him? To find out if he was able to lie?

“There is a certain General and a whole battalion of his soldiers. They got to know that Manipi is involved with your group and they were heading to Blackfeet Tribe´s village to punish them for that. I negotiated with them on the way and they returned to the city for now. If you stop the attacks, they will not blame the tribe for anything and they will leave them in peace.”

The Sioux was totally unreadable, only Manipi was snorting something under his nose scornfully, obviously doubting Kame´s words.

“You came here with your friends to stop us then?” the Sioux leader asked quietly.

“Yes,” Kame confirmed slowly.

The hostile looks around directed to the stubborn young man doubled their numbers, but he tried not to perceive them and focused only at the Sioux man right in front of him.

“And how you want to do that?” the leader asked the second question, still absolutely calm.

Kame kept silent. There wasn´t anything wise what he could respond on that question, not in their situation. Not without revealing their true intentions...

The serious Sioux leant a little forward, looking into Kame´s eyes.

“You are foolish, Kamenashi…” he stated in an ice-cold voice. “You don´t know us, you don´t know our reasons, and you still came. Why? Just because of Blackfeet Tribe?”

“Of course,” Kame confirmed his assumption firmly. “They are my family.”

His statement surprised not only the leader, but the other Indians too. Jin also noticed that some of the men were fidgeting nervously, and staring at the ground, not able to look directly at the talking youngster. There was something about those rebels, what made them different from Sioux. It was easy to figure out that they were from the Blackfeet Tribe; those who ran off with Manipi.

The Sioux leader stood up, placing his sceptical look at Kame: “You cannot stop us,” he said slowly.

“Yet I have to try,” Kame insisted. “There was more than enough blood spilled already, Sharp Fang.”

The Indian blinked hearing the name. Even Jin was surprised that Kame bothered to find it out. But the young man didn´t stop on that and kept talking, when he had a chance.

”I believe you are aware of that, too. I cannot stop you by myself, but you should stop from your own will. You cannot fight against White Faces anymore. But you still have your lands, your families, you can continue…”

“You _do not_ understand,” the Sioux´s interruption was sharp as a dagger hanging from his waist. “We have nothing left but our pride. I would not be able to stand in front of my ancestors with my head straight, if I gave up on that too. White Man is thief; he has no right on these lands. If I should die, then I die fighting against this greedy nation and my warriors will go with me.”

“I´m against what they do to this country just as you are,” Kame assured him. “But don´t you think, that the survival of the children, whom you and your warriors abandoned at home, is more important than pride now?”

Kame was really good at persuading someone, Jin already knew that. His arguments were simple, but still fell hard on the other person. But unfortunately, it didn´t seem it would work out this time too.

Sharp Fang´s face turned very dark and serious, when he replied: “If we gave up now, there would be no home for our children, Kamenashi.”

Now it was clear, that Kame couldn´t persuade the man, who probably lived through too many of the white nation´s atrocities to sit on his ass and do nothing against it anymore.

After everything what he had heard, Jin somewhat sympathized with the rebels. But that was only before he remembered that they almost shot Kame down, when he searched for them with Captain Walker in the woods.

When Sharp Fang finished his final statement, Jin looked at the younger one´s face and caught a slight hint of defeat on it. Kame knew that he should have given up already, but it was not so easy…

“You are leading your men to defeat and useless death,” he stated, repaying the Indian´s stare.

“Enough!” the angry voice of Manipi snapped at him. “Enough, you coward!”

Kazuya didn´t react on that and neither Sharp Fang did. He was just looking at them for a while, before he turned to his men.

“You two stay here with Blackfeet´s,” Sharp Fang decided about the two young Indians. “But these two,” he looked at Kame and Jin again. “They go with us.”

“But why?!” Manipi burst out. “We should put them to torture stake! Now!”

Sharp Fang placed a cold look at the upset Indian and that made Manipi to shut up.

“As I said... I want them to see true power of our spirits… And they will be help to us. Believe in our fight, Manipi.”

The Indian was huffing for a while, before he nodded obediently and as the first one he went to drag already silent Kame up on his feet.

***

The group of thirty Sioux and Blackfeet rebels with Sharp Fang in their lead, and with two involuntary companions, forced their horses to the fast gallop despite the difficult terrain. They kept riding forward for the second day already. It didn´t take long for Kazuya to realize, which place they were heading to. After they descended to the lowlands, they avoided Bozeman City completely and headed to the east. It was the direction, where the current last camp of the railway workers was located.

As far as Kame knew, some final clean-up works were taking place there. The ongoing construction was planned to be stopped for the winter season. Great Northern was supposed to postpone the works till the next spring, when they planned to continue further towards Bozeman.

It was hard to guess Sharp Fang´s exact intentions, but he probably wanted to scare off, or maybe even kill all the workers, to keep them away from the return and continuation of their job in the spring.

Though, Kame didn´t understand the reason for dragging himself and Jin along, but it seemed quite important for Sharp Fang. He wanted to talk to Jin, but when he tried, he was prevented from it by the very clear order to remain quiet.

Liwan, Hawk Eye and Weassa were not a part of their expedition, as they were left in the Sioux camp. Kame was not worried about his Indian friends; he was quite sure that all three of them might manage to escape the imprisonment. He even had a suspicion that Sharp Fang somehow counted with that outcome too, as he left only two guards with them. The Sioux leader had no interest in useless killing. He was a very stubborn and hard-bitten man, but clever and honest.

In any case it would be too late for Liwan and the others to prevent the approaching attack. And with the each passed mile, Kazuya was more worried, what task would be assigned to him and Jin in that. Not only they were forced to commit a crime, he had his doubts about the whole Sioux plan too. He had a hunch it was not going to end up well. He tried to approach and talk with Sharp Fang a few times before the ride, but the Indian was persuaded about his truth and didn´t want to listen.

So, now he and Jin were riding with them, on their faithful animals, and their destination, the busy railway construction, was closer with each minute. There was no space for them to resist and escape - all the time, there were two Sioux behind their backs; more than ready to send them away to the Eternal Grounds if they even tried.

*

 

Jin was bothered by their involuntary participation in the whole situation even more. He had to admit that Sharp Fang was not any dumb, hot-blooded Indian, but a clever, decisive leader. Thanks to his abilities the Sioux rebels were able to escape the justice of white soldiers for so long. That was a misfortune for him and Kame, though, as it brought them into the most inconvenient position, which he could have imagined at the moment.

With absolutely no weapons at hand, they were riding side by side along the recently placed tracks, right towards the railway workers´ camp. Their two Sioux guards were just behind them, disguised as white men, dressed in coats and their long hair hidden under the scarves. Jin had absolutely no reason to doubt Sharp Fang´s words, according to which the Indians would kill them both at the slightest sign of betrayal.

It was smart to send only four of them first, so that they could act as some white riders approaching the camp. They served as a good distraction, while other Sioux warriors surrounded the whole place and prepared for the attack. But Jin had a bad feeling that the whole thing wouldn´t work out as they had planned. Unfortunately, there was not much time left for more thoughts at all...

They approached the camp´s entrance, from where the sloppy guards were watching their arrival. Both men were standing there with their rifles hanging from their shoulders freely and just waited for them to get closer, without any sign of suspicion.

“Hey! Who are you, guys? That backup from the city?” one of the guarding men asked, as soon as they were within their reach.

“Yeah, you wish we were…” Jin murmured inaudibly.

Kame kept quiet, frowning deeply, wondering if it was better to reply or not.

“Come on!” the guardian sounded a little upset this time. “Who are you?”

At that moment, another man appeared, coming out from behind a small shed nearby, where he probably went to pee or something and he got a better view on their disguised companions than the guards had.

“Hey!!” the man´s eyes went wide in shock and fear. “They are not whites! These are Indians!!”

The guards grabbed their guns immediately after hearing that. Kame and Jin exchanged one short glance and both at the very same moment spurred their horses to move.

As if Ukushi and Kuro knew their masters were in danger, they stormed away so fast, that all three guardian men gasped in surprise and almost knocked each other down, as they rushed to avoid the animals.

Despite their quick reaction, two gunshots were heard behind them and if both animals, the black stallion and white mare, didn´t split up changing their way at that moment, the bullets coming from the Indians´ rifles would have definitely found their goals.

The guards started to fire back and the loud bangs thrilled through the air. The workers in the campsite realized something was going on and somebody rang a bell to alarm the whole camp. Right after that the high warlike cry could be heard from all sides, as the Sioux rebels launched the attack.

When Jin and Kame reunited in the shadow of a huge pile of wooden logs, the incredible chaos was already taking over their surroundings.

“Are you all right?” Kame breathed out shakily, more than aware of the danger, which they had barely escaped.

The older one nodded, also obviously relieved seeing Kame unhurt. Then both guys checked the camp kind of hopeless. It looked like all the hell broke loose. The yelling of Indians was mixed with the shouting of workers, and the whistling of many gunshots and the screams of pain cut through the cold air.

“Damn it... We need guns,” Jin stated. “I feel pretty unprotected like this.”

“I cannot agree more this time...” Kame reacted, really unhappy from the happenings.

In the common mess, suddenly one new sound joined in. Kame incited Ukushi a little, moving forward to see on the driveway and remained staring there motionless. A wide wave of blue on horses was dashing towards the camp.

“Oh, no...”

That blue colour meant another big complication.

Sharp Fang´s plan was not that bad. The rebels´ attack obviously surprised the workers and the Indians were in advantage, as they caught the white men unprepared. It would have probably turned out into the bloody slaughter of the workers within minutes, if the construction site was not heavily guarded by soldiers. It seemed that General Ord left quite a few of his men to patrol over the cleaning up jobs. And moreover, there was a whole unit of soldiers approaching the camp...

After everything what Kame had done to prevent that, to stop the useless killing, and after his unspoken promise to bring the Chief´s son back, he failed miserably. Indians and White Faces were killing each other in the merciless blind rage. Again. Just one proper look around crushed all his efforts and hopes into pieces.

Jin was watching the surprising backup too, but he was not as distracted as Kame was. So, his ears caught a strange sound, which he didn´t like, and he looked away from the driveway to check what it was.

It felt as if the time tripped over and slowed down, before rushing forward again.

Jin didn´t think; there was no time. He just made his body react as fast as possible on what he saw - one of the camp guardians, who suddenly appeared behind the logs. He was raising the heavy rifle and aiming it at Kame, who still stared in shock at the arriving soldiers.

Jin pulled his feet up off the stirrups, bounced from the saddle and jumped forward grabbing Kame´s body. He pushed him down from the mare´s back by his own weight. They both fell on the ground with a heavy thud exactly when a loud gunshot sent the lethal bullet into the air, a little above Ukushi´s head.

The mare neighed upset, reared up to her back legs and with the fast movement she kicked the rifle out of the shocked man´s hands. Meanwhile, Kuro ran around and covered both lying guys from the other side. The pale shooter stepped back. Both horses kept kicking up, not letting him take his rifle back and making the man retreat even more.

Jin just made sure that the shooter stepped away to the safe distance and didn´t care about him anymore. The time went back to normal again only when he heard Kazuya coughing and wheezing in some air, which he missed with the fall.

“Are you... all right?” Jin almost choked on the words, observing Kame worriedly.

The younger one nodded and let Jin help him to stand up, while Kuro eventually made the unarmed worker, who was swearing some vulgarisms, to run off. Only then Jin realized that he probably did something not so good to his stomach again, as the sharp pain almost made him lie down on the ground again.

“It´s just… breath…” Kame hissed out with the great effort, leaning over Jin´s shoulder.

Jin still supported the younger one, while he placed the other palm over his stomach gently, trying to ignore the unpleasant feeling.

“I think there was... enough of close escapes for one day...” he stated.

“Jin?” Kame looked at him, probably hearing something strange in his voice. “Are you...?”

“I´m fine,” Jin assured the other one. “Or I will be, whatever...”

The loud shooting and shouting took them back to the reality; there was no place or time for teary scenes.

“That rifle is useless unloaded; we really need guns or something…” Jin repeated, still holding Kame firmly. “Or I have just torn my trousers for nothing.”

“Thanks,” Kame said, still a little out of breath.

“You can show me your appreciation later, when we survive this,” Jin assumed.

Kame just nodded in serious agreement.

The attacker from before was nowhere close to be seen, so they both grabbed the reins of their nervous horses and ran to hide behind the nearest building to avoid the open space and direct line of soldiers´ guns, which just joined the whole bloody mess...

*

 

It didn´t take long and yet it was like a never-ending nightmare.

In the end, they had to remain hidden, until almost everything was over. If they have stuck out even a nose from their provisional hideout, they would have risked being killed by either Indians, or soldiers or camp workers. There was nobody on their side; they couldn´t be sure about if even one of the parties would consider them harmless.

Kazuya wanted to jump right into the middle of battle, when they noticed lonely Manipi fighting in the distance against three railway workers, but Jin didn´t allow him to go. There was nothing what they could do about it...

They both heard a sharp scream coming out of Manipi´s mouth, as he raised his hand with the tomahawk. Then there were two gunshots, followed by two blood stains at the Indian´s chest, which seemed so tiny from their position. The son of Blackfeet´s Tribal Chief looked down on himself, as if he couldn´t believe it. Then he staggered, remaining standing for a while, before he fell down on his knees and then on his face...

Manipi was not the first one to fall like that on that day, and not even the last.

Kame was shaking in Jin´s hold not being able to stop the flood of pity. He knew Manipi for a long time and despite many bad characteristics, there was nothing what he would hate about the young Indian. And his father – the Chief - loved him more than anything...

Little by little, the amount of shots and screams was coming down slowly. The soldiers were establishing the order in the camp again. There were too many of them and they were armed better than rebels.

Anticipating the defeat, a few Indians escaped to the woods, four, maybe five of them. The rest was either dead, lying between the rails along with white workers, or under arrest of the army.

From the crazy start to the bitter end, the whole battle was something unbearable to watch for Kame. He was torn apart by the fact, that he was not able to do anything. He could not help to anyone, not even to a single Indian. Not even to the last one standing...

The number of motionless bodies already indicated the end of Sioux rebellion, when they spotted one Indian sneaking on the ground not far from their hideout. He was leaving bloody track behind his body, as he was desperately trying to reach a revolver, which rested in one dead man´s hand.

“That´s Sharp Fang...” Kame gasped and tried to escape Jin´s grip again.

“No, Kame, don´t go there...” the older one urged him. “You cannot help him anymore...”

Kazuya knew Jin was right, but still... To do nothing at all...

The fate solved his dilemma instead. Before either of them could think out what to do, Sharp Fang let out his last breath, stopped moving and his eyes turned blank. Both guys stared at his body in disbelief. They don´t know the Indian for long, but still it was somehow unacceptable that somebody so strong disappeared from this world so quickly...

“Hands up!”

The sharp order behind their backs startled them. Seemed, they were finally exposed behind one of the workers´ sheds. Both guys obeyed and turned to face the blue uniforms slowly.

_Where all the good luck went, damn it? We just keep falling from one trouble to..._

Jin´s pessimistic thoughts were interrupted by another soldier on the scene, who appeared behind his subordinates.

“Well, this is quite a surprise… I´m just not sure if it´s a nice one or not.”

“Captain Walker!” Kame recognized the man first.

“Kamenashi... Akanishi... Good afternoon...”

 


	39. Liwan´s advice

**H** ow should you tell to the parents that their child is gone forever? Should you try to prepare them for the bad news slowly and express your condolences? Or should you do it quickly, saying it right into their faces without any false compassion? Is it right to comfort them lying about that the sudden death had some purpose? Or is it better to reveal the truth that it was meaningless and they lost their child for nothing? Is it possible to understand their loss, when you have no kids of your own? And can you even try to understand, without being hypocritical?

Kazuya told them the truth. It was difficult to keep looking into the faces of the Blackfeet Tribe´s Chief and his wife, while he was talking, but he endured it. He described everything, what happened since their small group had left the pueblo after the permission of Elders, in details and didn´t leave out anything.

The face of Flying Feather remained stiff and cold all along, but his eyes revealed the pain over the loss of his only son more than clearly. Manipi´s mother behaved as a good Indian _squaw_ and she didn´t start crying, even though her lips were pressed together in a straight line and her hands were clutching the skirt´s cloth shaking visibly.

This time, Kame didn´t feel guilty for what had happened in the railway workers´ campsite. He tried everything he could to prevent something like that from happening. But that didn´t mean it was easier to talk about how Manipi and many other members of the tribe died in vain...

As expected, Captain Walker demonstrated himself to be quite an understanding man, when Kame and Jin explained their presence in the conflict. It was their luck that Major General Ord stayed in Bozeman City and sent only Walker to check on the railway camp.

The rebels´ leader Sharp Fang was dead, as well as the most of other Sioux. So, General Ord could finally have the culprit he wanted. A few soldiers chased after the fugitives, but Captain Walker gave them his word, that Blackfeet Tribe would be left out of any other Army´s interventions. There was only one condition – Blackfeet´s were forbidden to seek revenge for the killed tribe´s members or to help the rest of Sioux rebels. As the requirement was more than understandable and acceptable, Kazuya agreed with it immediately and assured Captain he would forward the message to the tribe.

The captain let both, Jin and Kazuya leave the battle scene on that very day, just with one urgent request on Kame. Walker asked him to come to Bozeman within the following week, to testify against Math Grenet at the trial...

Both guys met with Liwan and the other two Indians on half-way back. Exactly as Kame presumed, it was not hard for them to escape their Sioux guards. Much harder was for Kame to explain them, what happened meanwhile. Their small group failed in the goal they set for themselves, but at the same time they succeeded in protecting the rest of the Blackfeet Tribe. Either way, it was clear that their return to the village would not be a happy one...

And so Kame was there now, sitting in front of the mourning parents, aware of the awful failure of their mission... Fortunately, there was one thing, which helped Kazuya and didn´t let his voice shake. He could feel a warm look on his back, coming from the black-haired guy, who was sitting behind him, closer to the wigwam´s exit. Kame didn´t ask the older one for it, but Jin still went to face the Chief with him. And at that moment, he was really grateful for it.

Flying Feather heard him out till the end without a word. Kazuya expected questions or even remorse, but he didn´t receive any of it either from the old man or his spouse. When he finished his report about the recent happenings, the Chief just asked him and Jin to leave. So they did, and let the husband and wife to mourn in privacy...

***

 

Shortly after the return of the small sad group with bad news, it started snowing again. But it was nothing like that crazy snowstorm before. This time, the winter decided to show its nicer face.

The snowflakes were really tiny and they were flying in the air playfully, before they finally reached the earth. The temperatures didn´t drop much, and not even Jin complained about the air conditions. During the first day, the snowing created only a thin dusting on surroundings of the village and almost nobody felt the urge to hide in front of the slight freezing.

*

Kazuya was away on some meeting with the Shaman for quite a long time and Jin got bored. He set off on a walk around the pueblo, pleased by the fact that all his recent pains were finally gone. Except the stomach which reminded itself to him from time to time, especially after his horse-jumping performance. But that was nothing what could spoil his mood.

The young gunman didn´t dare to bother the adult Indians on his way; he felt too much as a guest for that, and they didn´t pay him much attention anyway. But it seemed that the Indian kids were another story...

It started innocently, just with that small boy Jin had recognized earlier, when they arrived to the pueblo. He spotted the Indian kid following him from the respectful distance. Jin pretended not to see him, wondering how he could awake the boy´s curiosity. He didn´t have to think about it for long, as the kid came closer on own initiative, when Jin started to caress Kuro, who was staying in the fence together with the Indian horses.

The stallion snorted a little, to let Jin know, that the boy was there. He moved to the side and he saw the boy by the corner of his eye. The Indian kid was hiding behind the fence and staring at Kuro wide-eyed.

“Do you like him?” Jin asked, not even stopping the grooming of Kuro´s skin. He didn´t do that for long, and the horse seemed to enjoy the tender treatment. “You don´t have to be scared,” he said, when he noticed that the boy flinched back and turned to him. “Do you understand English?”

The small Indian stared at him for a while, before he nodded slowly.

“Great,” Jin breathed out in relief. “Do you want to take a look?” he proposed smiling.

The boy hesitated, but then he crawled under the fence and took two careful steps closer.

“Don´t worry, I don´t bite,” Jin grinned. “He might,” he added, indicating on Kuro, who shook his big head, as if he wanted to deny it.

The Indian´s face showed a very stubborn expression: “No fear,” the boy said and finally approached Jin.

“Prove it then…” Jin challenged him.

He had to hide the smile, when the Indian boy raised his hand slowly and placed it on Kuro´s long neck. The black horse turned his head a little to look at the unfamiliar kid. The boy repaid his stare with a very cautious expression on his face and didn´t move even an inch. Then Kuro nodded his head, as he would have allowed the boy to touch him and the kid let out a sigh of relief.

Jin gave his precious horse a small cube of brown sugar secretly, as a reward for good behaviour, when the excited boy started to fondle the animal. Kuro was a great horse, but usually he couldn´t handle any strangers, so Jin made sure he wouldn´t regret letting the boy come closer.

“Kiiree…” the small Indian murmured happily.

Jin frowned confused: “No, no… He is Kuro,” he said.

The boy shook his head, trying to explain something in the Indian language, but when he saw Jin´s face, he thought it over, trying to figure out the word.

“Beutifl?” he tried slowly then.

It took something about three seconds, before it made sense to Jin: “Aah! You mean ´beautiful´!”

The boy cheered up immediately, nodding a few times.

“Obrige tamaši,” Jin said with a wide smile, seeing the boy´s honest surprise. “There is a story about how I got him. Do you want to hear it?”

“Story?” the small Indian repeated. “Telling story?”

“Yes,” Jin confirmed.

The boy exclaimed something, what Jin didn´t understand. Then he patted Kuro for the last time and took Jin´s hand. With surprising urgency, the boy started to drag him back to the centre of village.

“Come. Others. Also story!” he shouted brightly and Jin had no heart to resist him.

*

 

Kame had just finished the long discussion with the Shaman related to the graves of the recent battle´s casualties. The white soldiers had enough respect to bury all dead under the ground nearby the railway campsite; Captain Walker gave Kame his word for it and the young man trusted him.

Their main problem was how the tribe should take care of them, when they were located so far away. It happened to be quite an issue for Cloud Dancing and the whole Council, because the usual funeral rites for the dead warriors were not performed and their souls couldn´t go on to the Eternal Hunting Grounds without them.

In the end, they agreed on that it was not necessary to replace the graves and the Shaman and a few warriors would go there soon, to remedy the missing ceremony.

Kazuya was passing by the wigwams, trying hard not to fall into depression. The final outcome of his attempt to keep all Blackfeet´s away from any problems was not as good as he had hoped and it made him wonder if all of that was even worth of it.

His eyes wandered across the groups sitting around three fireplaces. The men were resting after the long day, which they spent by more preparations for the winter season. They had to work on it harder, after their numbers were declined...

Except the adults, there was a completely different group settled around the furthermost fire. Almost all children from the village were seated around it, Liwan was there with them, and to Kame´s surprise also Jin.

The young gunman was saying something, what he couldn´t catch from that distance, Liwan was performing his translator role as usually and Kazuya noticed that all children were eagerly listening to each word. The cheerful laughing, after Jin finished his speech, made a few Indians to look in that direction, but they just murmured something and nobody seemed to mind the white gunslinger among their kids.

That picture cheered Kame up a little. Jin seemed to be so at peace, cheerful and relaxed in the siege of Indian children. It made Kazuya realize, that this was just another characteristic of the older guy he had no idea about - Jin obviously liked kids. And they liked him back.

A short sigh escaped Kame´s lips. That smile suited the handsome gunman so much better than a frown…

Suddenly, the dark eyes of the mentioned man looked at him directly and Kame felt like being caught at something. He smiled sheepishly and turned away with the intention to go to their wigwam for some rest. Like that he didn´t notice Jin leaning over to Liwan´s little sister Beara, whispering something into her ear. Right after that the girl jumped on her feet and with incredible speed she caught up with Kame in a mere ten seconds.

Surprised Kazuya looked down onto the small hands, which grabbed his palm firmly.

“Beara?”

“Come, Kazuya, pleeease…. We want next story!” the girl was pulling him to follow her stubbornly.

“Next story?” Kame repeated confused.

“You can tell story too! We know! Jin told us story! Funny story!” Beara laughed, when she led him towards the cheerfully chatting group. “You too!”

The girl´s hand in his was warm and Kame would have felt horrible if he had slipped away from it, so he just let Beara to drag him right between Liwan and Jin.

“Kame! Kame here!” the children welcomed him excited, and Beara returned to her place proud, that she managed the task, which Jin gave her.

“Did you finish talking with my father?” Liwan asked seriously, but despite that he seemed to be in a good mood too; he was just not as open as the kids.

“Yeah, it was complicated…” Kame nodded, standing there somehow absent-minded. That cheerful atmosphere felt unreal, especially after what they have been through recently.

“Don´t just stand here like a stake,” Jin commented and at the next moment the strong hand caught Kazuya around his right wrist, pulling him down to sit on the fur.

Helpless Kame caught the look of the warm eyes, which were unreal too. It was because also Jin´s eyes were smiling now…

“You missed my best story,” the older one complained and let his hand go.

Kazuya gulped down, trying to release the dry throat caused by that warm touch: “Ehm, I´m sorry about that…”

“Never mind, I´ll repeat it to you someday,” Jin shrugged, still looking at the younger one, as if he was trying to figure out, what was wrong with him.

But Kame had no intention to spoil the mood, so he avoided that burning glance.

“Kazuya! Story!” Beara reminded him about her previous request.

“Story! Story! Story!” the other kids joined her right away.

Kame couldn´t help but smile at them.

“What did you tell them about, Jin?” he asked curiously, while folding his legs to sit in more comfortable position.

Jin just laughed and Liwan replied instead of him: “Some really stupid story about his horse,” he stated with a forcefully bored expression on his face.

“It was not stupid!” one of Indian boys scolded him surprisingly upset.

“It wasn´t! Was not!” the kids attacked immediately too, so that Liwan raised his hands in defeat, but he seemed quite amused.

“About the horse, huh?” Kame repeated. “So, what about we stay at the animals? Do you want a funny one or scary one?” he asked already turning into the mode, which he usually used with these kids.

“Scary one!!” a brave Indian boy jumped up immediately.

“Really? Everybody?” Kazuya asked again. “Are you not afraid?”

“No, we are not! Scary story! Please!” the common uproar responded to him.

“I don´t want it,” Beara pouted.

“Oh, no! You are always coward!” the boy next to her complained.

The girl´s face turned red from shame: “No, I...!” she stopped talking and reconsidered. “Huff, all right… But Jin protect me!”

Beara got over the legs of other kids and ended up in the lap of surprised Jin. Liwan stared at his small sister in utter shock, not able to comment her behaviour. And he was probably shocked even more, when Akanishi didn´t object a thing about it.

“Ok, don´t worry, squirt,” the black-haired one poked into the girl´s face cheerfully. “I won´t let any beast harm you.”

Beara dedicated a victorious smile to her protector, made herself comfortable inside his arms and looked at Kame in expectation. Kazuya suspected her to act a scared one, only because she wanted to do something like this, but Jin obviously didn´t mind that at all.

“You can start, Kame,” Jin said, waking Kame up from his daydreaming.

All of that, cheerful children, the big fire, which successfully chased away the cold, baffled Liwan and smiling Jin, worked as a magical potion on Kame. He repaid Jin´s glance this time, feeling much better than a few minutes ago.

“All right, then… I will tell you a terrifying story about… hunting a bear…”

Jin chuckled on that and the excited kids reacted so loudly, that not long after that, when Kame was just on the beginning of his narration, even some adults came to listen to it...

*

It was the best evening they have had in a very long time.

The kids were gasping in astonishment and Beara was huddling to Jin´s chest, when Kame finished his story. Right after that the old shaman appeared in the dark, which fell onto the pueblo meanwhile, and standing adults let him pass through.

The Shaman sat down next to his son and took out the cedar flute. Starting playing on it, he silenced everybody up. The high melody was cutting the cold air, reaching up to the rocks and back to them with quiet echoes.

 _If only all evenings could be like this..._ Kazuya thought gloomily.

“Kame... Can you tell the Shaman that it was really beautiful, please?” Jin asked after the song ended and most of Indians headed to their wigwams. The children were supposed to go to their beds too, but all of them remained on their seats.

“I understand, young Akanishi,” the Shaman stated in English, before Kame could utter a thing. “And thank you,” the old man made a shallow bow, got up and disappeared in the darkness again.

“You brought some instrument with you too, right?” Liwan asked in a friendly tone suddenly. “In that strange box.”

His statement awoke the children´s attention, as they started whispering.

“Well, yes…” Jin admitted hesitantly. “A guitar.”

“What is that?” one Indian boy asked.

“We want to see!” another one joined his friend.

“What is guitar?” the kids requested.

“Hush!” Liwan scolded them. “You should go to sleep already, isn´t that right?!”

“NO!!” the choir denial sounded around the fireplace.

“Well, I can show it to you, that´s not a problem...” Jin said slowly.

“Play it! Play it!” another shouting came immediately.

At that moment Jin´s smile faded, as well as Kame´s.

“I´d like to… Really, but…” the young gunman hesitated.

Kame glanced at him and saw how Jin´s eyes lowered to observe his fingers.

“Leave it, all of you,” the younger one stated firmly, trying to save Jin from unnecessary explanations. “Next time, all right?”

“Nooo... Pleeease, we want Jin play guitar!!”

“Look, I cannot do it... I´m sorry, kids,” Jin said in a sad voice.

“But why? Why not? Mean! Mean Jin!” the complaints were coming from all sides.

“Shut it up everyone! Or I will make you clean my father´s cauldrons for a whole day!” Liwan had already noticed that there was something wrong with the guitar issue and tried to calm the greedy group down. Some kids pouted unsatisfied, some grinned at the Indian, but they all fell silent.

“You see… I…” Jin tripped over the word, but continued right away. “I have to use my nails for it,” he explained slowly, raising his hands. “But look… I don´t have them. Yet…”

The children´s eyes were wide as plates, when they stared at Jin´s fingertips in the light of fire. Liwan didn´t need any more explanations and he seemed to regret his earlier question a lot.

During the short silence, Kame realized that he was keeping a connection with Jin unconsciously, by touching his knee with his own and he was doing it for some time already. But he didn´t move away or say anything. The guitar´s topic was such a cruel reminder of beaten up Jin that he had to focus his energy just on the calm breathing.

Jin tried to smile at everybody encouragingly: “They have to grow up again yet. Sometimes later I will play for you, all right?” he promised.

To everyone´s surprise, Beara, who had been very quiet till that moment, took one of Jin´s palms into her little hands and observed the missing nails closely, frowning deeply.

“It hurt?” she asked and looked up to the guy´s face.

This time, Jin´s smile was honest: “Not anymore,” he assured her.

Despite his statement, the kids remained conspicuously silent.

“All right, that is enough. Your mothers are waiting for you already!” Liwan clasped his hands. “Come on, into your beds and no excuses!” he added strictly, when some children started to complain again.

Very slowly, the seats around their fireplace got emptied, as the kids left one after another, calling their thanks and good nights to all three guys staying.

“It goes for you too,” Liwan stared at his sister, who kept cowering in Jin´s arms, as if she could hide there.

In the end also Beara left Jin´s protection unwillingly and after sticking the tongue out at her big brother, she ran off in the direction of her home. Three of them remained alone. Also other fireplaces were abandoned already and just a few Indians assigned for night guards were still outside.

“I am sorry I asked about that…” Liwan said after a few seconds.

Jin kept staring at his hands, when he replied quietly: “It´s all right, you didn´t know…”

“I regret it anyway,” the Indian insisted. “I started bad topic like that,” he added gloomily.

“Look, _Bear_ ,” Jin stated mockingly, looking at the red man finally. “It´s really fine, I don´t mind that. This was a great evening, completely worth of this.”

“ _Bear_?” Liwan frowned surprised.

Kame tried to give Jin an approaching look, but it turned out to be an amused one anyway.

“What? You don´t like it?” Jin asked, being the pure innocence.

“I think you should go to sleep too,” the Indian reacted stiffly.

“I will, but only when Kazuya comes with me,” Akanishi grinned.

Liwan raised his eyebrows at him: “What is this condition?”

“I´m afraid of the dark,” Jin reacted immediately, already on his feet.

*

Liwan was sitting there, watching as Kazuya accepted the offered hand and let Akanishi help him to stand up. The fire reflections were playing on the faces of both young men, who hadn´t realized yet, how their outer act faded away, when they looked at each other. They couldn´t see how Kazuya´s eyes were shining and how the gentle smile was brightening Akanishi´s face. But Liwan saw all of it...

The older one let go of Kazuya´s hand and turned to Liwan again.

“I´d wish you a good night, but I was told you ´sleep´ all the time, so it would be useless, I guess…” Akanishi assumed, still in that mocking mood of his.

Liwan just repaid the young gunman´s glance without a word, pondering also about the way how the two of them could influence each other´s mood. That something what he couldn´t, or didn´t want to name before, was something more than friendship and it seemed that both youngsters had already admitted it.

Grinning Akanishi turned away to leave and Kame moved to follow him with a soft smile on his lips.

“Hey… You two…” Liwan spoke from the sudden impulse, sooner than they could make even three proper steps.

Both guys turned back to him with the questioning expressions on their faces. Liwan was not sure, what made him stop them and what led him to say the following words. Maybe he just wanted them, and especially Kame, to know that he _knew_. He didn´t want to pretend that he had no idea about what was going on between them. Or it was something else... maybe, but it would be useless to think about it any further.

“If you want to keep it in secret, do not be so obvious.”

His statement made both Kame and his companion to stiffen like statues.

“What are you talking about?” Akanishi asked without a trace of previous humour in his voice.

“Do not bother to deny,” Liwan huffed. “I know Kazuya and I am not blind. If you behave like this, even those kids will notice something eventually.”

Liwan overstated the truth deliberately. Neither Akanishi, nor Kame were bad at play-acting that there was nothing more than friendship between them; it was all about the little but very specific things. And it was necessary to make both of them to understand, what they can and cannot do in front of other people. Especially when they were supposed to return among White Faces soon. At least, that was how Liwan justified to himself, why he had started that conversation on the first place.

Akanishi was frowning at him, half-standing in the darkness beyond the reach of the fire, while Kame approached closer again, so that Liwan could see his apologetic expression. As expected, Kazuya was the first one to realize, what Liwan wanted to point out.

“Liwan… I´m sorry I didn´t tell you… It´s just that we thought…”

“Kame, I am not angry,” Liwan interrupted the useless apology, even though his stomach made a painful somersault at the second Kazuya confirmed what he only guessed till that moment. “That decision was yours. If you do not want to tell, I have no right to ask you otherwise. Even though you know it is all right here…” he reminded his friend. “Nobody from our tribe would judge you two for being more than friends...”

A strange shining appeared in Kame´s eyes, when he sighed deeply: “I know… But…”

“You do not have to explain. Really,” Liwan assured him. “I just needed to say this, for you to know...”

“I appreciate that a lot,” Kame seemed to calm down.

Not like Akanishi, who stepped forward too: “Will you keep this for yourself?” he asked on a very cold voice. The older one changed his mood so quickly, it was almost scary.

“Do I look like a talkative grandmother to you?” Liwan asked calmly. “Why would I warn you about this then?”

“Just asking,” Jin reacted sharply.

Liwan sighed: “As I said – this is between you two,” he stated looking right into Akanishi´s eyes. “It would be my business only in one case…”

“And that would be?” Akanishi asked defiantly.

“If Kame gets hurt…” Liwan replied simply, and this time he was the one hiding a threat in his tone.

The black-haired guy repaid his sharp glance without blinking, while Kame´s face turned from nervous to slightly upset. Liwan could imagine that his friend didn´t like the two of them talking about him as he was not even there.

“Fine. We have a deal then,” Akanishi said in the end. “Good night, Liwan.”

After that the gunman turned away for the second time, leaving with long fast steps.

“Thank you, Liwan,” Kazuya spoke after a silent moment. “I understand what you mean by this... And I really appreciate what you said,” he repeated seriously.

Liwan knew the younger one well enough to realize, that he said that also to remedy Akanishi´s reaction.

“I think that your boyfriend does not feel the same way,” Liwan taunted him.

Kazuya flushed a little; he seemed quite unsure about the topic. He probably didn´t know how exactly he should talk with Liwan about something like this. Well, it was a little... unusual.

“I will talk to him,” Kame promised. “Thanks once again. See you tomorrow…”

Liwan watched the slim figure of his best friend to disappear in the evening´s darkness, in the same direction where Akanishi left. Then he breathed out deeply and looked into the small flames. In the end, it was not as difficult as he was afraid… He didn´t know when exactly it happened, but he was somehow reconciled with the close relation of those two already. The outcome like that felt somewhat inevitable...

“I am proud of you, my son…”

Liwan flinched in surprise at the voice of his father. The Shaman was sitting on his right side, as if he was there for the whole time and not like he had just appeared.

“It was not easy, but you dealt with it well…” Cloud Dancing was smiling satisfied.

“How can you know, Father?” Liwan asked him still baffled. “You were not…” he stopped in the middle of his sentence, observing that knowing smile closely. “How do you know? Are they really that obvious?” he asked then.

“No... They are not,” the old man shook his head. “It is just that I have been through the same...”

Liwan´s eyes widened at that: “Father!?”

“Oh, before I met your mother of course,” the Shaman assured him immediately, as if he knew what was going on in Liwan´s mind. “And as for you... You know Kazuya too well not to notice that he cares about someone so deeply.”

“I would have rather not noticed that...” Liwan murmured poking with a twig in the coals gloomily, unconsciously copying Akanishi´s gesture.

“Akanishi is a good man, kind-hearted,” his father continued. “Kazuya will be in good hands.”

“I am not so sure about that.”

The Shaman looked at his son´s face carefully, his expression going serious.

“The time will show us…” he stated wisely. “But I am glad you accepted this. I have a feeling they will need all the help they can get yet. Keep being their friend, my son…”

Liwan got worried hearing the words: “What do you mean by that, Father?”

“Just what I say… The Spirits are restless… And bad things are going to happen again…”

*

 

Kame found Jin preparing for a sleep in their wigwam. In the poor light of a small fire, he couldn´t see the older one´s face well, but he somehow felt that Jin was upset.

“Jin?”

“Uhm? What?” the other reacted just murmuring and not looking at Kame.

“Liwan will not tell about us to anyone. He meant it well…”

“I know,” the stiff response came.

“Are you really so angry because he noticed?” Kame asked, not able to cover the hurt tone of his voice.

Jin slipped under the blanket and glanced at him: “No,” another deadly short reply came out of his lips.

“So, what is it?”

The dark eyes made Kame feel anxious, before Jin looked away, lied down and pulled the blanket up to his neck.

“Nothing. I´m going to sleep…”

Kame´s throat got stuck by a bitter feeling. He could see only the top of Jin´s head now. Those mood switches of the older one were still something quite difficult to handle for him.

“Did I say something what pissed you off?” he tried the last question.

After a few seconds, the face appeared above the warm cloth.

“No, Kazuya, you did nothing wrong,” Jin said softly, that annoyance still there, but not directed on him. “This is not about you…”

Kame was honestly confused, but Jin didn´t give him any space for more questions.

“Good night,” he said and quite decisively hid himself under the blanket again.

“Good night…” Kazuya replied quietly and started to prepare for some sleep too. Even though he doubted highly, he would be able to sleep well during that night.


	40. Peaceful days

**T** he truly winter weather swallowed up the Rocky Mountains. In the early morning, which followed after the story-telling evening in the Indian pueblo, the snowfall became intense and soon the whole village, along with the woods around and rocks above it, was covered with cold whiteness.

The men of the Blackfeet Tribe rushed with the last preparations for the tough season and both Kame and Jin helped them every day - to chop the wood, to conserve the meat supplies, to hunt some more animals down, to prepare their furs and skins for use, to take care of the horses, to build a proper shelter for them, and also to walk out the paths in the growing up layer of snow, so that the old people and women with children could move around the pueblo without difficulties.

They had a couple of days before Kame was supposed to attend Grenet´s trial in Bozeman City, so both guys used it as much as they could to help the tribe out. Their goodwill was appreciated by everyone a lot. The Indians even started to consider Jin for the usual part of every day; the men repaid his greetings and the women prepared hot meals for him and Kazuya after the daily tasks were done.

Thanks to their common efforts, finally one cold afternoon came, when basically everything necessary was done and they could enjoy some free time too.

For the excitement of all Indian kids, Jin had decided to build a huge snowman on a convenient place in the shadows of the close cliff, where some snow piled up. It was snowing even more than usually, and the snowflakes were wet enough to stick together well. So the final result of Jin´s idea looked surprisingly impressive.

While the happy kids were teaching the black-haired guy how to perform a proper Indian dance around the almost two-meter high snow statue, Liwan explained Kame the shortest way from the pueblo to Bozeman, drawing a few of simple lines in the surface of snow.

Kazuya was planning to leave with Jin the next day. It was clear that they have to spend at least one night in the wild, before getting to the city. Liwan recommended him to stay in their cave again. The Indian assumed that under the good weather conditions they could reach their destination in the late afternoon of the following day. Kame agreed with him; it would be too dangerous to travel during the night, so they needed at least two days for the travel.

Kame kept looking at the lines, trying to remember the right way as much as possible. He was quite confident he would find it without any bigger problems, but the snow changed everything, so it was wise to be careful and prepared in advance.

While Kame´s attention was focused on the simple map, Liwan was playing with the long stick, which he had used for drawings, and he was observing the loud group nearby.

“Kame, I want to ask you something...” the Indian said, frowning a little. “Did he not take, what I said before, somehow too seriously?”

Kazuya turned to look at his friend surprised: “What do you mean by that?”

“What do I mean? That way in which he ignores you,” Liwan moved his head towards the place, where the snowman was standing proudly.

“Jin? But he doesn´t…” Kame started, but his friend interrupted him right away.

“He does,” Liwan stated firmly.

Kazuya endured Liwan´s sharp glance. He wouldn´t use the word ´ _to ignore_ ´, but the truth was that the older guy kept avoiding him as much as possible in the past few days. Jin didn´t complain about anything, he even looked like enjoying their jobs; he kept playing with the kids... But Kame could count on his fingers how many times they talked to each other during that time. He didn´t know what was eating the older one up, no matter how much he tried to understand. It made Kame sad. But still, he felt the urge to defend the behaviour of the older one.

“It´s complicated…” he said slowly. “It is more difficult for him to… accept this. _Us_ , I mean. He just needs his space.”

“And you call that excuse?” Liwan raised an eyebrow. “Look, Kame, I really meant what I said. If Akanishi ever hurts you, I will kick his noisy ass to the opposite shore of this country. Literally.”

Kame couldn´t help but smile at him: “I´m glad I have you as my friend, Liwan... But it won´t be necessary, really. I think that he just doesn´t like to pretend…”

“You do not like it either, I assume,” his Indian friend reacted. “He does not make this easy for you.”

Kazuya sighed a little frustrated. A conversation like that did not help to unburden his bothered mind at all.

An unusually big fuss made them both look at the kindergarten near the rocks. It seemed that the snow war had just started there. And as Jin was the only one creating one side of it, he was losing against the kids.

 _Well, this is quite unfair..._ Kazuya thought kind of amused. At the sight, he immediately decided to join the battle. He had enough of pessimistic thoughts for one day.

“Thanks for the explanation of the way, Liwan…” he said already calm and stood up from the knee-bend.

“Kame...” Liwan took a breath, ready to continue their discussion.

“And as you also said before,” he didn´t let the Indian even start the sentence. “This is between me and Jin.”

Liwan repaid Kame´s firm look for a while, before he withdrew from his uncompromising stance.

“You are right,” he admitted with an apology in his voice.

Kame nodded to let him know he accepted it. Then he turned away, before the Indian could say any more stabbing remarks and he headed right towards the fighting crowd.

There were eight children, including Beara, who ganged up against Jin and they were attacking him all at once with snowballs. Jin fought back casually, complaining about their ingratitude loudly, while the kids were laughing gleefully, when they managed to hit the young gunman´s head.

Kame´s ambush caught the children unprepared. He managed to hit three of them with huge balls, before they were able of any defence.

“It was about time for some backup, Kazu!”

Jin´s cheerful voice brought a smile on Kame´s lips, despite he was still bothered by the other´s behaviour. For the moment, it seemed that the older one let himself be carried away by the atmosphere and forgot about keeping his distance.

“I´d have come sooner if you had asked for it!” Kame shouted back, avoiding the flood of small snowballs.

Jin just laughed shortly and attacked the kids again.

The villagers were looking at that hullabaloo in disbelief, some in obvious amusement, when the group of yelling children ran through the pueblo, chased by two young men, who kept throwing the snowballs after them as if they had lost their minds.

“Who is laughing now, huh?” Jin called after the fleeing opponents victoriously, when they entered the forest.

Kame, running side by side with the older one, left all worries behind and enjoyed the effort, which he had to make for getting further in the deep snow and the loud heartbeat in his ears. And he was obviously not the only one enjoying the moment.

But for their misfortune, Liwan with a smirk on his face, which didn´t suit the young Indian at all, sided with the kids unexpectedly. It caught both guys quite surprised and they had to retreat to defence.

The fierce battle moved even further into the woods and then on the huge pile of snow, which was gathered there, when they had cleaned up the path to the lake. The kid´s whoops and the playful threats of Jin were echoing between the trees, scaring some birds off.

As Jin and Kame had to fight against so many opponents, they hadn´t noticed when two boys went around, to get behind their backs. The little Indians waited for them patiently and then made both guys trip over the long stick on the top of snow pile, while they were too busy to repay the awful balls, which Liwan was throwing at them restlessly.

With the soft bump they fell down, made a few rolls from the short hill and ended up at the base of a snow mountain, all their limbs entangled.

The children almost ended up buried in the snow too, as they were laughing so hard, when they saw two white men coated in the layer of snow, who didn´t understand, what had happened to them.

“We surrender!” Kame called hastily, as soon as he saw that the group above them started to prepare another shots. He didn´t pay attention to murmuring Jin, who was trying to protest through the snow in his mouth. “Giving up!” he repeated.

The childish victory cries made an echo in the whole forest and still laughing kids headed back to the pueblo, leaving the defeated ones to their pitiful destiny.

Liwan just glanced at both guys down there, making sure they were all right and followed the celebrating kids with a satisfied smile.

*

The cheerful chit-chat and laughing were getting quieter gradually, and soon the forest around Jin and Kame fell completely silent. They looked at each other, both totally out of breath and completely wrapped in the snow. Then they burst out in the heartfelt laughter.

Kame turned on his back to let Jin have some space, still laughing. He felt so hot from all that running around that he didn´t mind lying in the white cold stuff yet.

Jin felt more bubbles of cheerful laugh in his throat, but it faded away slowly, when he looked at the younger one lying next to him. Kazuya had his eyes closed; his cheeks blushed from the furious snow battle and the snowflakes decorating his scrubby hair.

“I haven´t done something like this for…” Kame breathed out.

“Ages,” Jin completed without hesitation.

“Yeah…” the younger one confirmed amused.

That cheerful smile, which was playing on the other´s lips, made Jin´s heartbeat heavier and the blood rush faster in his veins. Kazuya was irresistible like that.

Jin looked up to the snow hill, to check if they were really left alone. Hearing absolutely no sound around, he decided to move. Still breathing shakily from the childish game and supporting himself on the elbows, he leant over that beautiful face.

Finally connecting their lips, after those damn long days and nights, when Jin was trying so hard not to even think about it, even though it was the one thing he wanted to do the most, flooded him with inner shaking.

At first, Kazuya got surprised, and didn´t respond on Jin´s action. Only when the older one kept kissing those warm and soft lips tenderly, he came to meet him, kissing him back slowly. But there was such a strong hesitation in it, that it made Jin to break their connection. The younger one looked him in the eyes, obviously confused.

And then, so suddenly, that Jin didn´t have time to react, Kame took a handful of snow and threw it into his face. Jin was stunned by that sudden upset move. He felt the cold stuff melting on his hot cheeks and stared at the younger one, who was frowning deeply, looking quite agitated.

“What was that for?” Jin asked harshly, not able to understand what he did wrong.

“You are horrible,” Kame replied at once. “I don´t understand you, Jin. You almost didn´t speak with me for days. And now you do... something like this. Why so suddenly…?”

The hurt in the younger´s voice made Jin feel guilty. Kame was completely right; he did try to avoid him in the past days. He wanted to prevent them ending up in exactly this kind of situation. He thought it would be better like that. It turned out the opposite, though. He made Kame worried, sad and confused with that.

 _Damn... Is there even a way how to put it without me looking like a pervert?_ he wondered cheerlessly.

Jin took a breath to regain at least a little of his composure back, before he moved faster than he even intended. He took both Kame´s wrists, forcing them into the snow next to the younger´s head and he covered Kame with his own body, putting one leg right between the lying man´s knees. Kazuya´s eyes went wide in just another surprise.

“Jin…?” he breathed out heavily. “What are you…?”

Jin brought his face so low that he could feel Kame´s warm breath and it made the younger one stop talking.

“You wanted to know what pissed me off, right?” he said on a quiet and hoarse voice. “I will tell you…”

Kazuya frowned and fidgeted a little in the unexpected position, but didn´t try to release himself. He didn´t say anything, but Jin could feel his heavy breathing through their coats.

“It was not Liwan. It was not you. I was pissed on myself,” he stated, suppressing the wave of various emotions, which were sneaking into his voice. “I was upset, because I…”

Jin paused for a while, gathering the will to say the rest too. He was not completely convinced that he should say things like that aloud... But the patient expectation on Kame´s face encouraged him.

“I realized that I cannot control myself completely, when it comes to you…”

The fading blush from Kame´s face was back right away, as the meaning of Jin´s words got to him.

“Jin…” he gasped a little. “But… I…”

“It´s not your fault! It´s not anybody´s fault,” Jin assured him hastily. “It´s just me being too… weak. God, this sounds really stupid, doesn´t it?” he added with a sheepish smile.

Kame gulped down heavily.

“Somehow… I don´t know what to say…” he whispered hoarsely.

Jin took another deep breath and lowered his head.

“Then don´t say anything at all,” he reacted just before he pressed against Kame´s lips again.

This time he kissed Kazuya desperately, urgently, sucking on his lips and trying to conquer them until the younger one gave in. Jin immediately penetrated inside that warm, wet cave with the soft tongue waiting for his. He didn´t intend to let Kame even breathe; suddenly he was eager to let him know about his desire to stay close no matter what. And he was probably doing more than a good job in that, as Kazuya started to shake in his grip, not being able to repay Jin with the same treatment. At the moment Kame could only accept Jin´s intrusion and let him do whatever the older one wanted.

Jin took an advantage of it fully, capturing Kame´s tongue over and over again, savouring on its flavour. It felt so damn good and hot to kiss trembling Kazuya like that, to have that kind of control over the guy, when he didn´t have it over himself.

Kame moaned almost desperately into the kiss, moving under Jin, and brushing against his leg with his thigh. Only that was enough to make Jin almost lose his senses.

With his heart beating as crazy, Jin finally ripped off those sweet lips. His eyes were blinded by strange mist and his breathing was irregular. He slowly realized that he was still gripping Kame´s wrists in a painful capture, but he didn´t want to let them go.

When Kazuya opened his eyes too, Jin could see the same burning emotions, which he felt himself, only mixed with some kind of resignation.

“See what I… mean?” Jin asked breathless.

“Yeah…” a mysterious smile appeared on Kazuya´s lips. “And now tell me, what´s so bad about it…”

Jin was repaying his glance for a while, before he finally released the grip on Kazuya´s hands and used one to rub him across the cheek.

“It´s all right here…” he admitted quietly. “When we´re alone... But if Liwan managed to notice there is something between us… What about the other people then? What if they see the same and they realize…?”

“Is it really so important for you?” Kame asked suddenly.

Jin stared at the younger one in amazement.

“It should be… And for you too…” he replied. “Can you imagine what it could cause?”

“Yes,” Kazuya placed a free hand on Jin´s face too. “But we are not so bad at acting, Jin…”

“We are not?” he reacted doubtfully.

“Of course…” Kame confirmed. “Liwan knows me perfectly, so he noticed that, but otherwise… Does it seem to you that anyone else has a suspicion?”

“Well, the old shaman…” Jin frowned. “He smiles at me every time he sees me, as he knows something what I don´t. He´s weird.”

Kame chuckled: “In a way he really is. But otherwise it´s fine… We will be fine, Jin,” he stated determined. “We can handle this…”

Jin kept looking into those shining brown eyes for a while, before he moved down again, but this time he only attached his forehead to Kame´s, trying to calm his own breath completely.

“I wish I could be so sure…”

There was a short silence, during which Kazuya brushed through Jin´s hair gently.

“If you are so troubled by that, you don´t have to go to the city with me,” he suggested then.

Jin´s head popped up immediately.

“Not an option!” he denied firmly and sat up. “Do not even think that you will leave me here!”

“I hoped you say so…” Kame smiled, supported himself on the elbows and joined Jin in the sitting position. “I would miss you...”

“Oh, really? Should I be more annoying then?” Jin teased him.

“Don´t you dare!”

“I will try, but no promises.”

The atmosphere got somehow easier and warm, but the snow started to feel very cold.

“We should go back, otherwise we catch a nice cold here…” always responsible Kame was the one saying it.

Not that Jin would feel any real coldness at the moment, but he agreed and stood up first, raising hand towards Kame to help him up too. Kazuya staggered a little on the insecure knees.

“Are you all right?” Jin observed him worriedly.

But the warm look of Kazuya´s shining eyes calmed him down.

“Well... Let´s say that if you have done something like _that_ one more time, I wouldn´t be able to walk myself…” Kame stated slowly with a hint of embarrassment in his voice.

Jin almost choked on another wave of heat, which those words caused him. That was some statement the younger one did...

“Ehm,” Jin cleared his throat. “Should I be...?”

“Sorry?” Kazuya finished instead of him, before he laughed heartily. “Hell, no...” and he slipped with his fingers between Jin´s, strengthening the connection of their hands.

***

 

The silence in the huge living-room, which was filled with the clouds of cigar smoke, was interrupted by the chime of the antiquarian clock in the corner. Four loud sounds were heard, indicating the late afternoon. The daylight was already fading and soon the dusk would rule over the whole property. The shadows inside the room were becoming deeper too, hiding the face of the smoking lord of the mansion in the dark shade.

Cameron didn´t need to see the facial features of his master to know that Raynold Karnaka´s face showed a deep concern and dissatisfaction, but also a calculating expression. The servant was standing in front of the oak table with hands behind his back, patiently, without a word, waiting for orders, about which he knew would come soon.

“So… Those two youngsters just keep getting in my way…”

There wasn´t any obvious anger in Karnaka´s voice, he spoke calmly, but there was almost imperceptible vibration in it, which was more than enough for Cameron to know that the man was upset. Not to mention already the third cigar between his lips. Raynold Karnaka was smoking that much only when he was discontent.

He knew that no response was expected from him yet, so Cameron just kept quiet.

“They were probably hiding at the red skins´ place all that time…” Karnaka was thinking aloud. “First they persuaded that old General to withdraw… Then they got involved in the Sioux attack on the railway camp. The Sioux leader was killed during it… And the Army didn´t blame them from anything?” he asked suddenly.

“No, Captain Walker let them go,” Cameron replied immediately. “They said that Sioux rebels forced them to cooperate, when they tried to stop them from the rebellion. And also, the Blackfeet Tribe was freed from all accusations.”

“Who would guess that those Indians would be so lucky…” Karnaka stated, gritting his teeth. “What about General Ord?”

“It seems he was quite impressed by young Kamenashi before and Walker persuaded him they were innocently involved. General had already left Bozeman, taking a few Indian captives along.”

“How many soldiers are left in the city?”

“Six and Walker himself. We expect four more to come with the judge from Billings.”

“And the condition of that bastard Akanishi?” the man continued with another question.

“He seems to be all right, no consequences of Math´s treatment are visible,” Cameron informed his master concisely.

“That´s not what I had expected,” Karnaka reacted surprised. “I know what Math can do. That youngster should have been crippled at least. From whom did we get this information?”

“From one talkative soldier, who guarded Major General´s tent, when those two had appeared. Akanishi is probably tougher than he seems, sir,” Cameron dared to express his own opinion.

“Unfortunately,” Karnaka uttered, taking a long inhale from his cigar. “But I´d say that this statement fits for that brat Kamenashi more. That boy has been causing me a headache for too long already.”

Cameron noticed that this time his master revealed more emotions in his voice, sounding really annoyed.

“They both should appear in the city for Grenet´s trial, sir,” the servant said slowly. “Just give one order and I will arrange the end of this inconvenient trouble…”

Karnaka pierced him with the cold look, keeping silent for a while.

“It´s quite tempting, Cam, but no… Not yet. I don´t want them dead. I want them to suffer…” the man´s voice was a shining example of ice-cold cruelty at the moment. “Nobody can fool me without paying a price for it.”

“I understand, sir,” Cameron nodded quietly.

“We will stick to the previous plan,” Karnaka decided. “You know what to do. About those two – just warn them for now… If Math´s performance, the burnt house, and that woman´s death are not enough, I will think of something else….”

“Yes, sir. You can count on me. There is just one thing – about your presence at the trial…”

“No way,” Karnaka denied before Cameron could even finish the sentence. “Ord is gone and I don´t care what Walker demands. You go there instead, personally. I want a detailed report later and you are the only one I can trust with it.”

“As you wish, sir… And about our young enemies, if you please, I might have one idea. How to… make them suffer.”

Raynold Karnaka raised his eyebrows: “That is quite unusual from you. All right, I´m listening, what is it?”

“Actually, we could even kill more than two annoying flies with it…”

An awful smile could be seen on the face hidden in dark shadows: “Now you have my attention, Cameron… I´ve got a good feeling that I know what´s on your mind…”

***

 

It was their last evening in the Indian pueblo before departure to Bozeman and Jin knew that there would be no other chance to ask about what he needed to know. And he _had to_ ask someone; otherwise he would keep torturing himself by uncertainty all the time.

Well, _someone_ was not the best way to put it... There was only one man he took into consideration regarding to that issue. He would have died from shame, if he had to discuss it with the old Shaman or anyone else. But even though he was gathering courage for it the whole day, it still took him hell a lot of efforts to make himself open his mouth and talk to Liwan, when they finally happened to be at the fire alone for a while.

“Hey, Bear... Can I… ask you about something?” Jin really had to force the words to come out of his throat, which was narrow from nervousness.

The Indian raised his eyes to him: “What is it?”

“You know…” Jin kept his voice low, while checking on their surroundings. “There´s nobody else, with whom I could… hmm, discuss _this_ so…” the young gunman shifted a little at his wooden seat. “I just need to know…or maybe... find out...”

“You take too long, Akanishi. Just get it out,” Liwan interrupted his blabbering impatiently.

“All right…” Jin checked that nobody was listening to them again. Especially a certain former bartender, who was preparing for their departure at the moment, had to be left out of this. “What should I do to… make Kazuya... hmm, you know, _happy_?”

Liwan´s gaze made Jin feel even more embarrassed than he already was.

 _Damn, is there really no way how to ask about it properly?_ Jin wanted to bury himself under the ground right away. He should have never start talking about this...

*

At first, Liwan was honestly confused by the young gunman´s question.

He noticed that the two guys figured that tension between them out again, as they came back from the woods clearly in the good mood, with their eyes shining like little suns. Like fools fallen in love...

But from that evening, it was also visible that Akanishi was anxious about something. And now he probably decided to bring it up. Liwan just didn´t understand, why Akanishi came to consult it with him.

“What do you mean by that?” he asked the fidgeting guy. “Should you not know this yourself?”

Akanishi coughed again, clearing his throat. The young man was so nervous that he unconsciously started to pull on the edge of his coat, almost tearing the cloth apart.

“Well, yes... In general, I do know it. But I have no experiences in _that_ , you know,” he seemed desperate about how to express himself without using many words.

Then Liwan finally understood and he got baffled: “Akanishi... You mean that you want to know what to do, when you are… in bed together?” he asked in disbelief.

“Yes,” the gunman breathed out quite relieved that he didn´t have to say it himself. “I´ve heard you have no problem with this kind of... stuff, so I thought that you could…” Jin stopped talking, when he noticed that the Indian was choking on laughing.

“Hey! Stop laughing!” Akanishi sulked. “I am serious here!”

_Of all people he asked me about it… Oh, great Manitou…_

Liwan was really on the edge of hysterical laughter. A question like that, he would have never imagined, it would come. Not from Akanishi, not from anybody else.

“You... hopeless...” Liwan managed to get out despite the lungs squeezed in incontrollable laughing.

“Fine! Sorry I bothered you!” Jin snapped totally embarrassed and angry.

“Wait! Wait!” Liwan raised an open palm to stop the guy from leaving. “Wait, just a moment,” he cut the laughter and forced himself to calm down a little.

Akanishi was stabbing him with the insulted stare.

 _Well, at least he asked about it…_ Liwan thought. _He cares about Kazuya..._

“I don´t want to…” Akanishi tried to explain himself again. “I don´t want to do something wrong.”

“I hope you do not want me to teach you,” Liwan couldn´t help but give that response and then he had a hard time to suppress the next attack of laughter.

Akanishi´s face turned red.

“Of course not!! That´s disgusting, you idiot!” the gunman seemed totally upset and shocked. “Just _tell me_! And if you do not stop laughing I´m leaving! I don´t need this!” he was trying to keep at least some pride for himself, but it didn´t exactly work, as the Indian saw how nervous Akanishi was.

“All right, all right,” Liwan tried to be more serious. “Look, it is quite simple, actually...”

“Simple?!” Akanishi yelped. “How can something like that be _simple_?!” realizing that he was quite loud; the guy checked their surroundings in panic again.

“Listen,” Liwan leant closer. “I suppose you know, what makes _you_ feel good, right?”

“Of course,” Jin murmured, his face still blushed.

“Well, Kazuya is a man like you. So basically, he might like same things, right?”

Jin stared at him, as the Indian would have just told him the secret of the world´s creation.

“At first you can try, what you like yourself. And I guess you will figure out the rest by that...” Liwan continued, admirably calm talking about things, which were the peak of discomfort for Jin.

“Uhm, well, yes...” Akanishi nodded. “But… When it comes to…” he took a deep breath. “You know what I mean!” he finished urgently.

Liwan sighed and looked at the dark sky above them. He had never had such an interesting conversation before...

*

“Can you imagine how that act works out?” the Indian asked Akanishi then.

 _Hell, yes! I can imagine it more than well!_ Jin thought desperately.

Exactly that thought made him feel so hot, that he wanted to dig a huge hole and bury himself in it. Even for him it was clear, how would any closer relation between two men turn out in the end, but... There was something else...

“Yeah, I can... But I think… It must… hurt,” Jin finally revealed the most important fact, which was bothering him.

At that moment, Liwan stopped feeling the urge to smile completely. The black-haired gunman was thinking over that really seriously. Liwan realized that he admired Akanishi for that he really asked him about it, even though the young white man didn´t feel comfortable with it at all.

“All right…” he said looking directly into those dark eyes filled with uncertain expectation. “You will owe me for this, Akanishi, but I think I can give you a few advices…”

***

 

They prepared to set off right after the dawn of the next day.

Despite the very early hour, Jin and Kame were equally surprised to see a few kids, who somehow got to know they were leaving the pueblo and they came to show them off. Beara insisted on Kame taking her up in his arms, not paying any attention to the disapproving look of her brother Liwan, who was the only adult Indian present.

“When you back?” the Indian girl asked pouting.

“In just a few days,” Kazuya assured her.

“Really? Jin too?” Beara demanded another confirmation.

The older one, who was just altering Kuro´s saddle to make it more comfortable for the animal, blinked in surprise. Kame smiled warmly.

“Of course,” he said. “We will be both back soon.”

Beara nodded, finally satisfied and she placed a sweet kiss on Kame´s cheek.

“Jin too!” she insisted, raising her hands toward the older one, who was still kind of baffled about the affection he received.

A little hesitantly Jin approached Kame, who handed the small girl over to him with such a beautiful smile, that Jin forgot about the kid in his arms completely, until Beara gave him the same present for the road as to Kame.

The only one, who seemed highly outraged, was Liwan, who started to scold the girl as soon as Jin put Beara back on the ground gently. But that small clever kid just smiled, then she ran to her brother and grabbing his warm poncho she dragged Liwan down to her, so that she could kiss the Indian too.

“Envy is ugly,” Beara said wisely.

Then she waved at both guys one more time and set off for the return to the wigwam before any more adults could find out about her not being in the bed.

Liwan watched his small sister leaving with a totally helpless expression, about which Jin had obviously a lot of fun, as he tried to cover his laugh by coughing unsuccessfully. The Indian stabbed him with his eyes, before his face gathered quite a calculative look. He approached Kazuya and hugged his friend firmly. Jin´s smile froze on his lips, when Kame repaid Liwan the same heartily.

“Be careful, Kazuya,” Liwan urged on the younger one, looking into his eyes. “Grenet in prison does not mean there will be no troubles.”

“I know…” Kame nodded seriously. “Take care, too, my Brother.”

The Indian squeezed Kazuya´s shoulder for the last time, before he approached the older one.

“See you, Akanishi,” Liwan said, raising his hand towards him.

Jin accepted it with the stiff face and squeezed it as hard as he could. But Liwan just smiled at him with the surprisingly friendly expression.

Kame observed the short battle of their eyes with the raised eyebrows, but didn´t comment on it. Then both youngsters took the reins of their faithful animal companions and being followed by the rest of the kids and Liwan´s glance, they headed towards the gap between the rocks. The children didn´t go further than to the beginning of the crevasse, but they kept waving after them, until they lost Jin and Kazuya from their sight...


	41. Back in civilization

**T** heir journey through the snowy mountains was not much easier than at the time they had travelled in the opposite direction. Their feet didn´t sink so deep into the snow as before, but the more help was needed for their horses, which they didn´t even ride to save up their powers for later. They intended to use them down in the valley, where the winter hadn´t hit so hard yet.

After a few miles, Jin noticed that since their departure from the pueblo Kazuya´s mood was slowly getting worse, as he kept more or less quiet during walking and a worried expression refused to leave his beautiful face. The younger´s gloominess influenced Jin too, as he could clearly imagine with what Kame was bothered so much...

They had to spend one night in the wild, so they decided to stop in the same cave, which had already served them once. To be fully prepared for the next day, both of them really needed to get a proper sleep, but instead of that they discussed the upcoming trial with Grenet long into the night. They had to decide about what they should or shouldn´t reveal in their testimonies, as Kame was really troubled about it.

So far, they hadn´t talked much about the events, which happened shortly before Kame managed to rescue Jin from Karnaka´s farm. But the younger one didn´t need to hear any details about it; Kame still had the poor state of Jin´s body right in front of his eyes, whenever he just thought about it.

It would have been fully righteous if that cruel bastard Grenet was judged also for what he had done to the young gunman. But considering Jin´s true intentions, when he joined Karnaka´s subordinates, made the whole issue much more complicated. It could have backfired at them very easily, especially if Grenet started talking too.

In the end they agreed on that Jin should not give out his testimony, unless it would turn out to be really necessary. It would be more than inconvenient if it came out, that Jin had tried to assassinate Karnaka before he was captured and tortured…

When they went to sleep finally, there was still something unspoken left, despite their long conversation. Both Jin and Kazuya felt it between them. It was something invisible but so tense, that it made their throats narrow and heartbeats faster. But none of them talked about it aloud. As if they had agreed wordlessly that there was not a good time for it.

When they lied down on the furs close to the small fire, settling right next to each other, as always when nobody else was around, Jin hesitated a little. There was a burning urge inside him to capture Kame in his arms, but he was not sure how it would end up with so many troubles on their minds.

Kazuya settled it in his own way, as he just snuggled closer to Jin without saying anything, and he let his head rest over the shoulder of the older one.

Jin felt that the younger man sought for some assurance and peace, yearning for his closeness. There was no need to put it into words, when he could _feel_ it. So Jin kept quiet too and he hugged Kame with one arm, pulling a blanket over them with the other, kicking himself mentally not to request anything else.

It took quite a while before Kazuya relaxed and was able to fall asleep, while Jin kept staring at the cave´s ceiling listening to the younger´s regular breathing. He was pondering gloomily, if it wasn´t better to skip that whole trial thing completely. It was certain that Math Grenet would be sentenced to death even without their contribution, anyway. But after they have started all of this, it would have been cowardly not to carry out till the very end.

***

 

With the upcoming dusk of the next day, Kazuya and Jin passed around the first houses of Bozeman City, while both were sinking in a not very optimistic state of mind. After weeks, which they have spent together among the Indians in the Blackfeet Tribe´s village, where they could have behaved freely and enjoyed the pure nature, it was almost strange to see the usual evening fuss on the main street of the white men´s town. They were both nervous from the reasons none of them wanted to name, and they were trying hard to cover it. Not exactly the best attitude for confrontation with the former Sheriff´s deputy.

Kazuya pulled on the reins and Ukushi stopped her regular movements obediently. Jin traced the direction of the younger´s glance and realized that Kame was mourning over the dark ruins of his former home. It seemed that the citizens have made a few alterations around, so that the burnt debris were not in the way, but even though the pile of the black wood was standing out from the snow as a painful reminder of what had happened on that place recently.

The evening shadows already covered the sad view, as well as Kame´s sorrowful face, but even like that it was just too visible for Jin, as he knew there was nothing he could do to ease the other´s pain. He couldn´t imagine what it had to be like for Kame to come back into the city; he could only let the younger one know he was there with him.

Jin patted Kuro gently and made him approach the mare. Then he raised his hand and placed it on the narrow shoulder, gripping on it encouragingly. Kazuya turned to him and his lips curved in the small smile.

“Thanks…” that word was nothing more than a whisper.

Jin just shook his head slightly: “No need to...”

“Kame!”

A joyful exclamation from the opposite side of the street made Jin withdraw his hand. Some blonde girl in warm blue dress and with a scarf wrapped around her shoulders was running towards them across the trampled snow mixed with the half-frozen mud. Jin had a feeling that he spotted her once or twice in the city before.

Kazuya dismounted his mare and he stopped the girl´s dash with open arms, when she basically threw her hands around his neck and hugged the young man tightly. Jin gulped the strange bitterness in his throat down and descended on the ground too.

“You´re back! I´m so happy to see you!” the excited blonde kept hanging on Kame´s arm, even though they were not hugging anymore.

“I´m glad to see you too, Lena,” Kame suppressed his previous depressive expression and smiled at her. “How are you? Is everything all right here?”

“Yes, you don´t have to worry,” the girl nodded, smiling happily. “Since that evil itself had been locked up, it has been really calm around here. I´m almost bored without you.”

“I´m relieved to hear that,” Kame reacted and looked at Jin, who remained standing close to Kuro and he was trying not to look too annoyed. “You don´t know each other yet… Jin, this is Lena, I´ve told you about her. And Lena, this is my friend Jin.”

The blond girl finally let Kame go and stepped closer to the older one.

“Nice to meet you,” she said, making a small and somehow cute bow.

“Me too,” Jin nodded his head politely.

The girl was too young for his taste, but very beautiful and her smile was honest. There was nothing about her what could have justified his annoyance, except her affection for Kazuya...

“You´re here because of the trial, right?” Lena asked, turning her head to Kame again.

“Yes,” Kazuya confirmed. “Are we late?”

“No, no, it´s all right. I think Captain Walker is still waiting for the judge from Billings to arrive,” she replied. “Don´t you want to come for a dinner? My Mum will be happy to see you. And you can sleep over, too.”

But Kame shook his head in disagreement: “Thank you for the offer, Lena, but we cannot ambush your mother like this,” he rejected firmly. “We will rather stay in the saloon.”

The girl was obviously disappointed, but she thought of something else right away: “Tomorrow then! For a lunch! I´ll make pancakes for you, you cannot refuse that, can you?” she winked playfully.

“Lena, I…” the younger one hesitated.

“Please, Kame... I don´t want you to leave again without even talking to me!” she insisted. “And your friend is invited too, of course.”

Kazuya gave up and nodded slowly: “All right... We will come tomorrow then. At noon?”

“Great!” the girl´s face brightened up immediately and she placed a quick kiss on Kame´s cheek. “I must go, or Mum will be freaking out again that I will catch a cold or something,” Lena rolled her eyes to show that it was completely ridiculous according to her. “Don´t forget!”

“We won´t,” Kame promised.

“Good evening to both of you!” Lena parted with them and rushed back to the small house, from which she fled out before, when she spotted the two young riders on the street.

“She is nice…” Jin made himself to overcome his useless sulking, when they took the reins of their snorting animals and headed further to the town´s centre.

Kazuya stole a quick glance on his face, but Jin kept looking straight forward, watching out for the lights of Harada´s Saloon.

“Yeah, she really is…” Kame said. “She used to make a company to my mother, as I was outside the house all the time.”

They spent the rest of way to the saloon in silence and headed right to the stalls. They were welcomed by small Mike there, who had just finished his daily tasks. The boy was not less excited and happy to see Kame than Lena, but unlike her, he made quite a fuss around Jin too. He flooded them with the waterfall of questions, which they were not able or didn´t want to answer.

It took some time before Kame sent him home and they stabled the horses themselves, before they could finally enter the taproom.

The saloon´s owner, Mr. Harada, had already fixed the durable winter door instead of the summer season´s swinging doors, so the air inside was kind of hard to breathe in, filled with the cigarettes´ smoke and beer´s odour.

Only a few tables were empty, others were occupied by some railway workers, who obviously hadn´t set off for their homes yet, and the rest by Karnaka´s gunmen. All of them were enjoying their beers and the company of Madame Sukina´s harlots, but despite that, the arrival of two young men didn´t escape their attention.

A considerable amount of vicious looks followed Jin and Kame on their way to the bar counter. It seemed that the information about the two of them spread among Karnaka´s subordinates, but they counted with that and didn´t expect any friendly welcome.

Kame stubbornly ignored everybody around except Mr. Harada behind the counter; Jin on the other hand walked through the room in a way, which left no doubts that he was willing to shoot off anyone´s head in a second.

“Kamenashi!” only the saloon´s owner seemed honestly pleased to see his former employee.

“Good evening, Mr. Harada,” Kame greeted the old man politely.

“And Akanishi!” Harada welcomed the other one with a wide and somehow dangerous smile. “Good to see you, young man, I suppose you came to settle your debt here…”

Jin totally forgot that he used to be a guest in the saloon and blinked in surprise, but he remained calm and nodded confidently: “Of course, I will settle it, Mister. I´m sorry, I left so suddenly…” he apologized, but didn´t stop paying attention to the taproom. For that moment, all present cowboys remained sitting on their places and just some mute murmurs filled the heavy air.

“Good…” Harada nodded satisfied. “I was wondering when you would show up,” the man started to prepare two tankards for beers without even asking them. “But it would be naive of me to hope, you´ll come back to your job, right?” he assumed half joking, half seriously.

Kame shook his head in a sincere apology.

“Unfortunately, I have to confirm your assumption, Mister. We´re here for the trial…” he replied quietly.

Mr. Harada also lowered his voice: “Yeah, I know, Captain mentioned you´d come. You´re right on time, just this morning the judge arrived, he´s accommodated here.”

“Ah, really?” Kame reacted. “Was the date decided then?”

Harada shrugged: “I´ve heard something about tomorrow´s morning, but you have to confirm that with him or Captain Walker.”

“I will,” Kame confirmed seriously.

“Here you go, guys,” Harada pushed two full glasses towards them. “Would you like something to eat, too? Miss McBain prepared her famous potato goulash today.”

“Yes, thank you,” Kame accepted the offer. “And about the place for us to stay...”

“Of course! There is that room with two beds vacant now, will it be all right?”

“That would be great, thanks.”

“Just go to sit, I´ll take care of your dinner,” Harada observed them by a sharp glance. “You two are so thin; you really need something to eat. And Kame... It´s free of charge, both of the meals and the room, I hadn´t given you the last pay check anyway.”

Kazuya nodded really gratefully this time, took both beers and headed to one of the free tables as the first one. Jin was right behind him, still scanning the room, but it seemed that for the moment nobody intended to make any troubles to them...

*

They had just finished their drinks and meals, when Captain Walker appeared inside the saloon and headed towards their table, as soon as he spotted both guys.

“Good evening!” he welcomed them taking his hat off. “It´s great you are here already! I was getting worried, that you might not show up.”

“I keep my word, Captain,” Kame reacted.

“And I´m really glad for that... Actually, I need you to come with me right away. I promised to the judge that I will give him over all reports tomorrow morning and I need your testimony. Akanishi, you should come too.”

“Me?” Jin raised his eyebrows, realizing the sharp glances from the taproom on them. “Why?”

“You were Grenet´s former subordinate, weren´t you? It would be a great help if you could add some evidences to his judgement.”

“But I…” Jin took a breath for the objections.

“You really _should_ , actually,” Walker emphasized, interrupting Jin´s excuse.

They didn´t want to cause any unnecessary fuss, so despite their previous agreement, they left the saloon following the captain.

Just a minute after them, one dark figure slipped outside too and ran towards the sheriff´s office, to which they were led for the investigation. And the rest of the threateningly looking gunmen started to discuss something in a very suspicious way…

*

 

It was strange to sit and be interrogated in the sheriff´s office, when there wasn´t either the old man with his star, or the former deputy. Just Captain Walker and his soldiers occupied the space, using it for their needs.

After Kamenashi described their experiences and troubles with Grenet, while skipping everything about Jin´s capture and torture, the captain informed them that Major General Ord had already left Bozeman taking the Indian captives along and the whole battalion, too. Just Walker with a few of his subordinates was ordered to remain in the city to watch over the trial and supposedly the following execution.

At the end of their long conversation, Kame had succeeded to persuade the captain, that Jin´s testimony was not necessary for the upcoming trial. Even though, Walker was not very satisfied, while being left with too many unanswered questions. Fortunately, he trusted both youngsters enough not to urge on them, when Kame swore that Jin´s involvement could bring more damage than benefits.

Math Grenet was still imprisoned in his cell, just behind the door of the office and neither Jin nor Kame could help but glance in that direction from time to time. To their relief, they were not supposed to meet that man earlier than on the next day during the trial.

Jin didn´t want to admit it, but he was quite anxious about the expected confrontation. It was many weeks ago, when he saw Grenet the last time, and that was only through the mist of pain. The more he thought about it, imagining the scene of meeting with that son of a bitch again, the more uncertain he felt. And Kame himself seemed to be bothered by that too.

Actually, both guys were unable to get rid of that awful nervousness, since they left the Indians and it was eating them up. Math Grenet was a dangerous man and they had to be really careful, if they didn´t want to attract more problems.

Not speaking about Grenet´s superior, about whom Walker himself said, that Karnaka was just too powerful stubborn man, who was difficult to deal with. The soldiers´ leader informed them that he asked the lord from the white farm to come to the trial, but he didn´t really believe that Karnaka would show up, when General was not around anymore.

After they promised to be on time for the start of the whole judicial process, Captain Walker released them. A deep and cold night was consuming the whole city already, making them rush towards their accommodation.

Just as they appeared in the saloon again, Mr. Harada was throwing the last drunk guest out. He was curious about their questioning, but Kame excused for both of them. They were tired and not in the mood for more talking. So, understanding Harada just handed the keys of their room over to him and wished both of them a good night.

*

Jin almost couldn´t believe it, when they finally went up the stairs to the second floor, where their room was supposed to be.

“I can´t help but I like Harada more and more…” he stated, still surprised with the helpful and nice attitude of the saloon´s owner. “I still owe him quite a lot of money and I thought, he would start asking angry questions, but instead of that - a free room.”

“Maybe he came to like you,” Kame suggested.

“No way,” Jin denied that proposal amused. “I think it´s simply caused by the fact that _you_ are his favourite bartender.”

“You cannot say that for sure, as I was his _only_ bartender,” Kazuya reminded him smiling a little.

“True enough...” the older one admitted.

They reached the door at the end of the short corridor and Kame unlocked it, entering the room first. Jin followed him, closing the door behind them.

When the younger one increased the light in two kerosene lamps on the wall, which were already lit by Harada before, the room itself appeared to be quite simple, but clean and comfortable. There was one window, two wide beds and on the other side a small table with chairs.

“Anyway, it´s really generous of him,” Jin commented the spacious place appreciatively, putting his bag down on the floor.

“I cannot agree more. I don´t think I will ever find any better employer…” Kame stated and approached the window to shut the dusty curtain over it. “Which bed do you want?” he asked then.

“Yours, of course,” Jin blurted out joking.

A short silence followed.

Kazuya stared at Jin for a while, as he was not sure about what to say. The hot embarrassment flooded Jin, when he realized, how his hasty words actually sounded like.

“All right…” Kame cleared his throat sheepishly, tearing his eyes off of the older one. “I´d choose the one at the window… You can have it then,” he stated, grabbed his stuff and crossed the room to the other side.

At the same moment, embarrassed Jin decided to move too. They almost collided in the middle of the room, their shoulders brushing over each other.

“Sorry…” the quiet apology was duplicated, as it came from two mouths at once.

With a deep exhale, Jin put his stuff on the bed near the window and remained standing there, staring at the washed-out bed sheets. Suddenly, the air inside their room was too warm and too heavy to breathe in. With his stomach filled with a strange shivering, Jin realized that only now they were alone with Kame after a very long afternoon and evening. And it was in a warm room, under the protection of a proper roof, without any responsibilities for the steady fire or their horses.

Moreover, it was after the first day, when they were supposed to behave according to the usual manners. Not that they were not doing it before, but being among the Indians and dealing with the white nation´s social rules was something completely different.

It was not that difficult as Jin had thought, but still it was... a little bit strange. As he had predicted, it was weird to be around other people now. It would have been all right, if he hadn´t thought about it too much and acted naturally, but somehow he was more than aware of the other´s presence all that time, and he avoided even looking at Kazuya, when somebody else was around. He still had Liwan´s words on mind, when the Indian warned them from being too obvious.

But what the hell was _obvious_ about being friendly to each other? Jin just couldn´t get it, what he was doing wrong and the more worried about it he was, the more distant attitude Kazuya had. And so that tension in the cave from the evening before turned into an anxious silence in the saloon´s room.

Jin turned away from his bed with a clenched stomach. Kazuya was facing the wall, pulling some clothes out of his bag quietly. Jin´s legs moved themselves, making one slow step, then a second one and third, until he was standing right behind the younger one.

Kame stiffened in the middle of his movement, when he realized his presence, but didn´t turn around.

“Are you nervous about tomorrow?” Jin asked in a quiet voice.

He felt a little stupid asking about it like that, but at the moment it seemed to be a safer topic than the other reason of that tension, which made his pulse unsteady.

Kazuya stared at the clean shirt in his hands, which he packed up exactly for the mentioned occasion. From the profile, Jin saw how the younger one licked his dry lips, before he replied.

“Hmm, yes… A little,” Kame admitted in an uneasy voice. “You?”

“Well... Me too,” Jin reacted, with his eyes locked on the curve of Kazuya´s nape, which was visible thanks to the short ponytail the younger made from his hair. “But only because of the very high probability that I will shoot Grenet´s head off, before the process even starts…” he added, trying to ease the atmosphere up.

Kame laughed shortly and put the shirt down onto the bed.

“Don´t do that, please, I don´t want to visit you in jail,” the younger one said teasingly.

Jin circled his arm around the younger´s neck, before Kame could lean over to his bag again. Grabbing his shoulder gently, he pulled Kame closer to his chest and lowered his lips to the younger´s left ear.

“And would you visit me there?” Jin asked almost whispering. “Just in case that I would not control myself...”

Only then Kazuya turned his head to look into Jin´s eyes.

The dark orbs, which were so very close, consumed him immediately and made his breath get stuck in his lungs for a moment. Jin´s firm body attached to his own made Kame feel safe and unsecure at the same time. The tension, which they had been dealing with for two past days, just got to its culmination and it got him frozen on the spot, waiting eagerly for next happenings, but somehow fearing them as well. It was a confusing mixture of feelings, which he just couldn´t figure out. Definitely not by pondering them...

“You know I would…” Kame forced the words to go through his narrow throat.

“That´s good to know…” Jin reacted hoarsely with a sudden flame in his eyes, which made Kame´s knees shake.

The younger one had never thought that he would be unable to make a first step. But Jin made it instead of him right in the next moment. Kame was pulled on the coat by the other´s hand. He didn´t even manage to take a single breath and there were already the demanding lips attached on his.

Jin captured Kazuya in his arms, kissing him urgently. And it broke the spell, which was making the younger one numb. Kame slipped up with his hands, running through the thick hair with his fingers and he repaid the hot kiss with no less urgency.

An incredibly strong feeling stroke into their bodies, almost as if they were hit by lightning and it pushed their lips apart. But it took only an insignificant instant, before they connected them again hungrily.

Jin got aroused so fast that he almost chickened out; scared of his own rushing emotions. But Kazuya´s soft lips, repaying his own actions tenderly, made him forget about it right away, as the hot wave of shivering was flooding him from head to toes, overcoming any reasonable thinking. And only holding and kissing the younger one was not sufficient then...

Jin got annoyed by the quantity of clothes between them. He surprised Kame by the forceful interruption of their eager kissing, when he pushed the other one away a little. But Jin did that just to undress the coat from the younger one. He let it fall on the floor, before taking Kazuya back into his arms. Kame gasped, when Jin grabbed him a little roughly for the waist, pulling him as close as possible to himself.

They both stiffened for a short moment, looking at each other´s flushed faces, letting out short shaky exhales. The lights of the lamps were reflecting in Kazuya´s eyes, making them shine like small fires, while the strong desire made Jin´s ones even darker than usually. Then Kame moved his hands again and keeping their glances connected, he started to unbutton Jin´s shirt. Jin waited impatiently for Kazuya´s fingers to deal even with the last knob. He went down with his hands on Kame´s hips, when the younger one made the shirt fully open finally, and spread his warm palms on Jin´s bare chest gently.

Not ever stopping to observe his face, Kame soothed Jin over the skin slowly, while his lips were slightly parted. He was going up, until his fingertips touched Jin´s nipples hesitantly, caressing them with a bigger confidence, when Jin breathed out from excitement. With one hand Kame continued up, fondling his collarbone, which made Jin almost choke on the strange shaking. But it was not unpleasant, not at all when the fingers of the younger´s other hand kept playing with one of his nipples softly.

By those slow touches, Kazuya was studying the places on his body, which only a few got to know so far. Something squeezed inside Jin, bringing up the sleeping passion. Feeling that soon he would not be able to control himself at all, he pushed the younger one back and pressed him against the wooden wall, pulling out a shaky inhale from him.

With each breath he took, Jin heard the stronger rumble within his ears, as his blood began to rush in his veins.  There was no space for any stupid worries, when he felt so damn horny.

He searched for the way under Kame´s shirt hastily, until he found it and finally could touch the warm skin. He slipped under the cloth with both hands, spreading palms on the lower part of Kame´s back.

He just couldn´t take a proper breath and Kazuya´s breathing was not regular either, when Jin closed the gap between their lips again. This time he only teased on them, luring Kame´s tongue out of its sanctuary, while he kept exploring the soft skin on his back up and down, proceeding for the waist and then also chest, feeling the younger´s ribs under his fingers.

Jin almost forgot where he intended to go next, when Kazuya caught on the bait of his caressing and probed Jin´s half-open lips with his tongue, a hot sigh escaping the younger´s mouth with it. Jin let it slip in and then captured him by sucking on it greedily, making Kazuya shiver.

One of Jin´s hands escaped from the warm place under Kame´s shirt and grabbed on the round bottom. Jin didn´t even know when his hand wandered so low. But Kazuya´s reaction in the form of a muted moan told him it was more than a great idea. It was so alluring, that he joined the first hand with the other, capturing Kame´s ass in a horny grip.

Kazuya fought for some space in their kiss eagerly, biting on Jin´s lower lip, which made Jin even more unwilling to let him go. As he was pressing Kame between himself and the wall, he realized that the firm warmness he felt in his crotch had a companion in the trousers of the other one too.

Kame tore off their passionate kiss out of breath and the burning glances clashed together. The younger´s hands went down from Jin´s neck with not a single hint of that innocence from a while ago. There was no hesitation, when Kazuya´s fingers grabbed the buckle of Jin´s trousers, which Jin intended to appreciate by just another possessive kiss...

A loud bang followed by the glass breaking ripped them of their hot enchantment with such a cruelty that it hurt them almost physically. Jin and Kazuya flinched back terrified and neither of them could believe their own eyes, when they saw what caused the sound. There were tens of sharp shards from some bottle on the already burning floor.

They didn´t even had a chance to overcome the first surprise, when one more bottle engulfed in fire flew inside the room through the broken window. The splashed kerosene oil set the bed sheets and curtains on fire within seconds.

A completely different kind of heat flooded both startled guys, who were standing right next to the shocking flames.

Finally, their instincts worked and made them react. They jumped away from each other; Jin grabbed the thick blanket from the other bed, throwing Kame´s stuff aside, while the younger one took the sink full of water prepared for the evening washing.

Kazuya poured the bed with everything what was in the metal sink and right after that Jin threw the blanket over it. Rushing to the small wardrobe, the younger one grabbed the first hanger, which came under his hand and hooked it over the pelmet, which was holding the curtains up, dragging them down roughly.

Jin was hitting the flames, which were not stifled by the poor blanket, with his coat, covering his nose and mouth, while trying not to breathe in the thick smoke. Kame was stomping over the burnt curtains furiously, until even the tiniest flame was gone. Jin even sacrificed his hat to put out the pillow, which threatened to light up as the last one.

Both guys kept checking the room, letting their eyes roam around, until it was sure there was no more fire anywhere. Thanks to the awful smell and smoke, the air in the room was almost stifling and only the fresh air coming inside through the broken window allowed them to find some oxygen for their strained lungs.

Then they looked at each other with identical expression on their blackened faces, which showed shock and relief at the same time.

“What the…hell… was this?!” Jin coughed out from his dry throat.

Only then Kame thought of checking out the street. But there was not a single suspicious figure around, when he looked out carefully.

The banging on the door made both of them jump in surprise again.

“Kamenashi! Akanishi! Are you… What the hell happened here?!!” Harada burst into the room, staring at the black mess. He heard some glass breaking and came upstairs to check on the guys.

“Petrol bombs… Two of them…” Kame managed to say hoarsely. “We don´t know who…”

“What?!” the man gasped in shock. “Oh my dear God, are you all right?!”

Kazuya looked at Jin again, who was coughing heavily, but nodding his head.

“Yes…” he assured him. “We managed to put it out…”

“Sweet Jesus! This is incredible!” Harada was keeping his voice up quite upset, walking across the demolished room to the window. “What kind of a sick idiot would do this in the saloon?!” he yelled over to the empty street. “Do you hear me?! No matter who you are, I will hunt you down and eat your balls for my breakfast!!”

Then the saloon´s owner turned over to check on both young men again.

“You two look like going through the chimney…” Harada stated frowning. “Come on, Dr. Best has to examine you and we have to tell Captain Walker about this,” the man decided and he was the first one out in the corridor. “Even though Grenet is in jail, something like this happens! Fucking crazy idiots! Incredible! In-cre-di-ble!” he kept swearing, while heading to the stairs on a fast pace.

Kame and Jin exchanged knowing glances, hearing his words. It was quite clear that the attack was directed on them. Somebody had to hear Harada out down in the saloon, when he assigned this room to them and wanted to scare them off before the trial. Or maybe even worse...

Jin stood up from the ugly bed, still trying to clear his throat a little.

“Captain will be so happy to bother with us again…” he assumed gloomily.

*

 

But the first person, who was not happy about two ´black´ guys, was Dr. Best, whom Harada woke up, even though both Kame and Jin tried to persuade him, that it was not necessary. The surprised doctor examined them properly, notifying that they both had burns of the first level on their hands and the lungs filled with the inhalations, which were supposed to irritate them to coughing for some time yet. But he just gave them some ointment for the burns and let them leave his infirmary.

Captain Walker was the second one. The soldiers´ leader was still in the sheriff´s office, preparing the documentation for the upcoming trial, when the news, or so to speak the three visitors, reached him. He just stared at them for a while, before palming his face tiredly.

Then he offered them the same chairs again and heard both Kame and Jin out. He also ordered his soldiers to search for any tracks, which the attackers might have left behind. Unfortunately, it was already late at night, the city was sleeping and the deep darkness covered anything, what might have helped them.

Mr. Harada was kind enough to prepare new rooms for the two guys, only single-bed sized this time and Captain Walker insisted on having one soldier as the guard in front of their doors.

Neither Kame nor Jin could sleep that night. They just kept rolling from one side to another, too agitated by the attack and troubled with what was awaiting them the next day. And also, both filled with that forcefully suppressed desire after each other, which made their bodies shake just at the idea, how far they would have let the hot moment continue, if they hadn´t been interrupted so roughly…


	42. The trial

**T** he next morning Kazuya found Jin in a serious discussion with his former employer. Both men were sipping from the huge mugs of black coffee, which tempting fragrance reached even to the stairway, while the saloon´s owner was smoking his first cigarette of the new day.

“...morning, Kamenashi!” Mr. Harada spotted him in the doorway first. “There´s more coffee in the kitchen; help yourself.”

Kame nodded gratefully, more than eager to get some stimulating liquid inside his stomach and left in the direction of the named room. Coming back to the taproom again, he joined the small company at the window table, repaying Jin´s warm glance as he sat down.

“This was an awful night, seriously,” Harada stated finishing his cigarette.

“I´m so sorry for all the troubles, sir,” Kame reacted with guilt in his voice, but the older man just waved his hand indignantly.

“Nah, it was not your fault, Kame. Important is that you´re both all right. That bastard, who did it, should be praying for not getting into my hands,” the saloon´s owner seemed still quite pissed about the attack on his livelihood, when he got up. “I´ll get us some proper breakfast, I bet you will need it today,” and with that he walked out on the street, heading to the Franko´s store, before Kame could have objected anything or offered himself to arrange it.

The heavy silence filled up the room for a moment, when the youngsters remained alone.

“You´re surprisingly early today,” Kame noted, taking the warm mug into his hands carefully.

“And you look even better than usually.”

The surprising reaction made him forget about the coffee and focus on the handsome face of the older one. Despite the tired expression from not getting enough sleep, Jin was smiling at him in a way, which made the younger one blush a little.

“Well... I cannot go there just in a poncho, can I?” Kazuya murmured, realizing that Jin pointed out his clean white shirt and black trousers, which he had dressed up for the trial.

 

 _I would like to strip you off anything…_ Jin had to bite his tongue to keep that response only in his mind and not let it pass his lips. _Geez, what came over me to think like that?_

Just the previous night, somebody had tried to kill them. There was also the upcoming trial with Grenet and everlasting issues with Karnaka. And despite all of that, there was only one thing Jin was able to think about since the moment he spotted Kazuya entering the taproom - what it felt like, when the slim body sitting in the chair next to him, was shaking in his arms, gasping for breath between the hot kisses… It was unbearably hot to realize that the younger one was _yearning for that_ as well as Jin himself...

 _Damn it! Stop it already!_ Jin scolded his disobedient imagination.

“Hmm, that´s true…” he finally managed to react on Kazuya´s rhetorical question. “There´s an important day in front of us…”

“So important that you couldn´t sleep any longer?” Kame raised his eyebrows. “That´s unusual.”

Jin´s glance pinched the younger one into the chair: “More precisely, I couldn´t sleep at all,” he stated slowly.

“Me neither,” Kame admitted, sinking into the chocolate orbs.

“It´s no wonder, I guess,” Jin reacted in a deep voice. “After that attack last evening…”

“Yeah... We should have expected they wouldn´t leave us alone so easily,” Kame assumed.

Jin smirked a little: “But it would take much more to keep us away from that trial,” he declared cheerlessly.

“Right…” the younger one agreed right away.

They broke the eye-connection and focused on their mugs for a while.

“I almost forgot,” Jin said then, looking out from the window and checking the street, just in case Harada would have been on his way back already.

“About what?” Kame asked curiously, raising his head.

The older one turned to him, but didn´t reply. Instead of that Jin leant closer, placed his hand on the back of Kazuya´s neck and kissed him. He did it only gently, but behind those warm lips Kame felt that the older one was holding back. There was only a hint of the hidden desire, when Jin brushed over his upper lip, before retreating, but just that was enough to bring thousands of butterflies into Kame´s stomach.

Kazuya hold his breath, enjoying the after-effect of Jin´s surprising action. He wasn´t able to realize it fully during the previous evening, as he was just too absorbed by the hot waves of his excitement, but it felt so damn good, when Jin kissed him on his own initiative, without any restraint as before.

Kame was a little nervous about it, wondering if Jin didn´t feel uncomfortable behaving like that, when they were in the city, in public, where anyone could have spotted them. That was also why he hesitated to make the first move. But right at that moment, when the older one pulled back, but kept touching Kame on the skin right under the end of his hair, that heavy burden disappeared like it had never been there.

“What was that for?” Kazuya asked on a little hoarse voice.

“That was a ´good morning´,” Jin informed him seriously, but with teasing fires in his eyes.

Kame didn´t hold back a smile, which sneaked up on his lips, just before he was the one overcoming the gap between them and pressing against Jin´s lips eagerly.

 _I could have mornings like this one every day, that I would like…_ he wished in his mind.

***

 

There was no town hall or school or any other convenient building, which could have been used for gathering of many people, so it was decided that the whole judicial process would take place in the closed church. The old temple was built a long time ago, in the same year as the city itself was founded, but since the death of the first vicar there was nobody, who would have taken care of the Christian believers in Bozeman. That was also why the priest from Livingstone had to come every time a funeral or wedding took place there.

But on that day, nobody´s thoughts were focused on praying anyway. It seemed that Math Grenet´s trial attracted the attention of the whole city and also the farmers, who lived further in its surroundings.

There were many curious eyes observing the two young men, as they headed towards the closed door of the wooden building with a small belfry, which was guarded by two soldiers. The snow layer in front of the church was stomped by many feet of the gathered citizens, who were waiting there for being allowed to go inside.

Jin felt uncomfortable with all that attention focused on them, but Kazuya seemed to be calm, or at least he pretended not to mind it.

They were followed by the Brice´s family. Jin was already introduced to both husbands, when they went to visit their house for a lunch, based on the promise, which Kame had given to the young blonde. They were nice; they didn´t ask them any stupid questions and they accepted Kame´s simple explanation. By the time when the lady of the house and her daughter were washing up the dishes, Jin had already understood why particularly this family was close to Kazuya and came to like them for their honesty and ability to enjoy small good things in their lives.

Captain Walker was already awaiting them at the entrance, and greeted them touching his blue hat.

“Please, go inside,” he asked the witnesses. “Judge Marshall wants to meet you before the trial starts.”

*

Judge Marshall was neither tall nor short, neither old nor young, neither slim nor fat. It was impossible to guess his age, or if he was married or not. His face didn´t show a single smile or frown, when they introduced themselves one by one. Kame felt the creeps on his back just looking at that man; it was like the judge had no emotions at all.

It was quite different from his experience with Raynold Karnaka. That old rancher was _obviously_ dangerous. But Judge Marshall was… unpredictable. His pale skin seemed as one of a dead man and also those eyes observing them… It was as if Kame was looking into the eyes of a fish. He was quite unsure about what to expect from such a man. But there was not much time for pondering about the judge.

Mr. Marshall left to prepare himself for the trial in the sacristy. All three of them – Kame, Lena and her father - were seated in the first bench on the right side, while the left side remained empty. Then the soldiers let the citizens in. Jin and Mrs. Brice were among the first ones to come inside and they took their seats right behind the witnesses.

*

Kame was tense; Jin could tell according to the stiffened position in which the younger one was sitting in front of him. The blonde girl was nervous too and her father, Mr. Brice, was frowning worriedly. The room was full of excited chatting, but all the talking was suddenly silenced by the sound, which brought shivers on Jin´s skin – the clanking of chains.

The soldiers with Walker in the front were leading the accused man inside the church. The whispers accompanied the small group going through the main aisle, until they reached the front part and the empty bench.

Jin didn´t want to look in that direction, he really didn´t want to… But from some reason he had to…

His head turned to the side all by itself and his eyes collided with the scornful cold look of Math Grenet. The former deputy was pale, but otherwise he gave an impression that he had slept more than well. That bastard was standing there with a satisfied smile, as if he was not the one who was supposed to be judged and probably sentenced to death. He was smiling and it was the same smile Jin saw, when the first scream of pain escaped his broken lips, or when the last nail was ripped out of its place…

Everything around turned blurry. Jin was not able to perceive anything else than that awful smirk, which made him hear own screaming in his ears again, which made his body remember that thirst, that blinding never-ending pain, that fear and darkness, which he had barely escaped…

The young gunman didn´t even realize that he was clenching his hands into shaking fists, until the soldiers finally made Grenet sit down on the bench.

*

Kame felt sick, almost on the edge of vomiting. He didn´t look there, in that direction which definitely lured Jin´s eyes, he forbid that to himself. He was afraid of what he might have done if he just glanced at that… creature, which killed his mother and made Jin suffer so much. He just stared at the wooden floor, with the clenched stomach and throat. Something was urging him to turn his head back and look at Jin, whose presence he felt behind, to make sure the older one was all right, but Kame overcame it and focused on Judge Marshall, who just came into the room.

Captain Walker appeared as a prosecutor and read all accusations against Math Grenet aloud; everything else was managed by the judge himself, whose face still didn´t show any emotions.

The former deputy was accused from the abuse of power, the rape attempt, the restriction of personal freedom, also from the wilful killing, from the murder of Sheriff and last but not least from the arson. The reading was accompanied by the quiet curses and expressions of disgust from some more open citizens, but as soon as the judge started talking, everybody respected his authority and kept silent.

Kame went to testify first. Sitting at the separate table, he described his previous disagreements with Grenet concisely and focused on the following happenings. They agreed with Jin to omit his capture on the farm completely, even though they doubted Grenet would try to use it against them. It would not help anything. Not to mention they would have to talk about Raynold Karnaka and no matter how sure Grenet´s condemnation was, they couldn´t afford to speak against that man.

So, on the question, why Math Grenet abducted and then killed Kame´s mother, he just said: “I don´t know…” despite the words came out of his lips with big difficulties.

Kame felt the mocking stare from the bench of the accused man, when he responded on the judge´s question, but he stubbornly avoided it.

Then it was Lena´s turn and also her father´s, then Doctor Best´s. The judge heard all of them out, before he addressed his next statement to everyone in the church.

“Is there anybody else, who would like to testify against this man?”

The silence followed.

“Is there anyone, who would like to testify in his favour?”

Even more dead silence fell onto the room. Kame was not sure if he should be surprised or not, as a few of former Grenet´s subordinates were present too, but not even them utter a word.

“Math Grenet…” the judge focused his cold attention towards the man. “Stand up, please.”

The soldiers had to force the smirking former deputy to obey the judge´s request.

“Do you feel guilty?”

“No.”

The immediate response came in such a cool manner, that it made most of the room start murmuring in surprise. Jin couldn´t help but look at that fucker again. Grenet was repaying the emotionless glance of the judge still with that awful smile all over his face. Kame kept staring at the floor, his hands squeezing the cloth of his trousers.

“If you want to say something on your defence, this is your chance,” the judge proposed.

“No, why should I?” Grenet reacted. “I did what they said.”

Even louder murmurs and some swear-words on the man´s head made the judge hit with the small hammer onto the table.

Kame felt the sickness again.

How could Grenet behave so calmly and even admit his crimes? Was there any remorse in that man at all?

“So you confess, but you don´t feel any regret,” Judge Marshall made sure, not even blinking.

“You´re a clever man, Mister,” Grenet said. “That´s correct.”

Mr. Marshall stared at him for a while, before he piled up all the documents, which were gathered on the table in front of him and stood up.

“This proceeding will continue within an hour,” the man stated and in the common noise of people standing up, he disappeared in the back part of the church again.

The excited citizens started to leave the room slowly, to get some movement and air before the event of the month would continue. The Brice´s and Kame stood up too. The whole family left quite quickly, but Kame waited for Jin, who slowly straightened up with all his muscles numb. Not looking at anyone including Kazuya, he just headed for the exit.

Kame followed the older one slowly, when somebody´s figure caught his attention. He hadn´t noticed that man before, but he recognized him now, feeling the ice in his veins. The grey-haired servant was standing close the wall and he was piercing the leaving guys with an unreadable glance.

Cameron was definitely sent to the town by Karnaka. But not even he stood up for Grenet. So they gave up on the former deputy completely?

The man´s face expressed nothing but a cool interest. With a bad feeling in his stomach, Kame rushed after Jin.

He found the older one right next to the stairs leading to the church´s entrance, smoking on a cigarette. The fingers, which were holding the small sinful thing, were slightly shaking. Jin was obviously completely disconcerted. Kame was not surprised; he suspected the older one would react on Grenet like that. It was one of the reasons he proposed Jin not going along to Bozeman with him. It was not easy for him either…

Kazuya approached Jin slowly and stopped by his side. He looked up to see Jin´s pale face and wide, very dark eyes filled with something, what brought shivers on Kame´s spine. His instincts were telling him to touch the guy, to assure Jin he was not alone in this, but instead Kazuya kept his hands in the coat´s pockets. Despite the older one kept persuading him all the time that he was all right with his presence at the trial, it definitely didn´t look that way now. It had to eat Jin up just to sit there and do nothing.

So Kame stood there, next to him, so close that his shoulder almost touched Jin´s, keeping silent and just observing the chatting people around, who remained nearby despite the break which was announced by the judge. Jin did the same, not saying anything either. They both had their own portion of bad memories to deal with at the moment and no words were necessary for them to know they had support in each other.

Jin had just finished his cigarette, when the church´s door opened again and two soldiers came out, leading the chained Grenet between them for the man´s elbows. They were supposed to take the accused man back to his cell, before the trial would be continued.

Math Grenet spotted two youngsters standing under the stairs and resisted the grip of his guardians, making them stop.

“Hey! You two!” Grenet called over mockingly. “I see you´re doing pretty well, aren´t you?”

Jin and Kazuya turned their faces towards the man with the identical expressions, which showed disgust.

“Just keep going, Grenet,” one of the soldiers tried to push the prisoner to move on.

“What´s the matter?” Math remained rooted to the cold ground wilfully. “I can´t have a word with old friends?” he complained loudly and looked at them again. “Did you miss me? I bet you did, Akanishi.”

Jin clenched his fists, but still didn´t react.

“I enjoyed playing with you,” Grenet continued, incredibly cheerful. “It´s a shame that we were forced to stop so suddenly…” then the blue-grey eyes focused on Kame. “You know all of that was your own fault, baby boy, don´t you?” he referred to him with an evil smirk.

Kame´s throat was narrow and dry. He couldn´t utter a word, even if he wanted to. He felt a painful pressure within his temples and his chest was gripped in some indescribable anxiety. Each Grenet´s word was said with an intention to hurt them and it worked…

“Do you want to know, how your sweet mother was screaming, when I tied her to the bed?” Grenet continued hastily, as the soldiers seemed to lose their patience with him. “She tried to be brave at first, but then she begged me for her life!”

Kame felt the blood abandoning his face; suddenly everything was stiff and cold… But it was Jin, who moved towards that bastard first, with an obvious intention to beat the soul out of him and that tore Kame off his numbness, as he managed to grabbed Jin for an arm in the last second, holding him back.

“You think you can scare me off, Akanishi?!” Grenet jumped off militantly. “I must say your screaming was much better than of that old bitch!”

Kame caught Jin with both hands now, because the older one really seemed he would have torn Grenet apart. Not that Kame wouldn´t want to do the same, he just realized it was not worth of it. Meanwhile the soldiers exchanged the disgusted looks and started to drag the yelling Grenet away.

“I´m not done with you two, got that?!” Grenet fought against them, making them stagger. “One day I will get your sweet ass, baby boy, you can bet on that!”

Kame was overwhelmed with an urge to vomit all his hatred towards that man out and couldn´t react fast enough, when Jin tore off of his hold.

The satisfying connection of Jin´s fist and Grenet´s jaw was a matter of seconds. The hit was so hard that Grenet fell back on the ground, slipping out of the soldiers´ grip. Even though it looked more like his guardians let him fall and didn´t rush much to stop Jin, who continued punching Grenet right into his face in fierce rage.

By that time they had already gained the attention of all people around, who were amazed by that fuss.

Captain´s subordinates finally leant down and tried to pull Jin away from the man, but they had to use all their strength to tear him off and not being for Kame, who approached Jin and shouted the older one´s name, they wouldn´t have been able to do it...

*

Jin was blinded by burning anger and groundless fear, and in a desperate attempt to let all of it out, he put those feelings into each hit. It didn´t help though; it didn´t ease those strong emotions up, they kept clinging to his heart. But he just had to keep trying; there was too much of it inside him. He wished that bastard to suffer, because that was how it was supposed to be. Not him, not Kazuya, but that piece of shit wriggling on the ground, which kept mocking them and laughed on their pain.

Math Grenet made Jin go through the Hell, from which Kazuya pulled him out. The young man saved Jin from that darkness, which was eager to consume his body and soul. And _nobody_ had a right to threaten Kazuya like that, the less that fucker…

Jin was determined not to let Grenet lay _even a finger on his_ Kazuya. He kept trying to reach and hurt that man despite two pairs of strong hands, which were dragging him back. Only an urgent calling of a well-known voice reached his mind engulfed by red rage and allowed Jin to see and perceive his surroundings again.

Kame was standing right in front of him, both palms pressed against his shoulders, while two soldiers were holding Jin for his arms so firmly it hurt.

“Jin…” Kame repeated his name on a more quiet voice, when he noticed the older one was getting back to his senses. “Please, stop. He is not worth of this…”

Jin was looking into those worried brown orbs, breathing heavily, and realized he probably hurt the knuckles on his right hand, as it was starting to pinch and ache.

“What the hell is going on here?!” the strict voice made both soldiers flinch.

Kame pulled his hands off of Jin´s shoulders slowly and turned to the approaching man, while Jin´s eyes slipped back to that imitation of a human, whose lips were broken as well as the nose and his skin was covered with fresh blood, which was quietly dripping down to the white surface under him.

“What´s this?!” Captain Walker, who seemed very upset, pointed at the bleeding man rolling on the snow. “Why isn´t he in his cell yet?”

“Captain!” both soldiers saluted, releasing Jin from their grip. “We were going to bring him there… But… He resisted… and…”

“I apologize, Captain,” Kame took up the word, as it seemed two men were baffled about what to say to excuse themselves. No wonder, when they practically let Akanishi almost beat the soul out of the prisoner. “He started to provoke us.”

Walker let his eyes wander from Kamenashi to Grenet, who sat up, still bleeding heavily, and to Akanishi, who was staring at the man, as if he intended to kill him in the next second. The uniformed man took a deep breath and straightened his back, realizing the glances of half Bozeman citizens around.

“Lieutenant!”

“Yes, sir?!”

“Take Mr. Grenet to his cell, now!” Walker ordered strictly.

“Yes, Captain!!”

Both soldiers rushed to fulfil the order and picked the man up putting him on his feet.

Kame turned to look at the former deputy once again. Which he shouldn´t have done, because he saw that despite that bloody decoration, Grenet was _still smiling_.

Jin and Captain Walker noticed that smile too, but none of them said a thing and they all just watched the group, until they disappeared on the street.

“Look, Kamenashi,” Captain spoke first, coming closer to him, as he wanted to avoid the curious ears of people around. “I´ll be honest. I don´t know what happened between you two and Grenet, except of what you told me about, but I cannot let it influence this trial. I have responsibility for him as a prisoner and I cannot let you beat him up,” the man hesitated a little, before he added the next sentence on even quieter voice. “No matter how much I agree with such a treatment for bastard like him. Is that clear?”

Kame stared at the captain for a few seconds quite surprised.

“Yes, Captain, I understand,” he reacted seriously then.

“Akanishi?” Walker´s glance focused on the silent youngster, who repaid it shortly and after a tense moment, he nodded. “Great. Be back within an hour,” with that Captain left, walking through the group of citizens, who watched the whole scene from the distance.

Kame was well aware that Jin was incredibly lucky Captain Walker behaved as their friend; otherwise they would have had huge troubles. But looking at Jin´s face, he just couldn´t reproach to him anything…

*

Captain Walker turned out to be a real blessing for them, as he let Dr. Best treat the worst consequences of Akanishi´s outburst and he also explained the fresh bruises on the prisoner´s face to the judge. Neither Jin nor Kame had to deal with any more questions, when the trial was resumed for its final. There was no reason to prolong anything then and the gathered crowd could listen out the judgement over their former deputy.

“Math Grenet, from the authority given to me, Ronald Marshall, by the Government of United States, I find you guilty in the full statement of your accusations. For rape attempt, for murder and for arson, for all of these felonies committed by you at the full consciousness, by this I condemn you to death. The judgement will be enforced at noon within two days, in the form of hanging on the gallows. This judgement is irrevocable. This trial is completed.”

The judge hit with the hammer to put the emphasis on his decision, gathered his stuff and with the same rigid expression on his pale face he left the room. The church burst out in spontaneous celebrations and mocking calls, as the soldiers led the condemned man outside. Also Mr. and Mrs. Brice were smiling, content with the result. Their daughter stood there with her eyes closed and with an obvious relief in her face. Only the main witness and his companion were silent. They just watched Grenet being taken away without a word.

A few citizens came to Kame, congratulating him that he helped to bring the justice upon the cruel man finally and the church got emptied slowly. Jin and Kame were the last one to leave the room, shortly grasping each other´s hand, before they went through the exit.

***

 

That evening, the saloon was overcrowded as never before. Mr. Harada even brought some spare chairs from the kitchen, but despite that many citizens eager for some drink and chatting were standing at the bar or even outside on the veranda, discussing the event of the day.

The saloon´s owner was really grateful to Miss McBain, who was willing to help him out exceptionally, so that he had some time to check on his guests properly, to know when somebody had simply enough for one evening. But as much as the whole taproom was noisy and cheerful, mostly thanks to the harlots, the table in the corner was deadly silent.

After the dinner time, Harada had enough of that gloomy atmosphere and headed to the cellar for his secret supplies. He was saving that bottle for a special opportunity, but he decided that day was more than fitting for it...

*

The clinking glasses and cheerful jokes couldn´t reach them. It was like they were sitting behind some transparent wall, closed inside their own space.

Despite not being hungry, both Kame and Jin ate almost everything what Mr. Harada put on their table. Miss McBain´s meals were simply too good to be wasted. But as it came to their beers, the tankards were still almost full, standing at the table, as the two pairs of eyes were watching them absently.

Kame thought that he would feel relieved and happy after the sentencing. And he was really glad that finally some justice was brought upon that evil man. But there was no happiness or relief inside of him.

Grenet will be punished for what he did, but was that enough? It will not bring his mother back; it will not take all that pain Jin had been through away… Was it enough to let the man hang on the rope then?

Kame raised his eyes to look at his older companion. Jin was staring at the surface of his beer with the same gloomy face. They didn´t talk for the whole evening; as they were both sinking in that strange depression, even though they had all the reasons to celebrate.

But Kazuya just couldn´t have a good time, despite Grenet would be soon out of their lives forever. There was still Raynold Karnaka and there was still Jin´s revenge. They didn´t talk about it either, but he was sure that the older one didn´t give up on that...

*

The beer tasted like water to him and not even a great dinner could cheer Jin up. His right hand still ached as well as his head. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn´t get rid of the picture of laughing Grenet. Seeing the man again, after that long time filled with the aching feelings, fever and hallucinations, after everything what Kame had to go through because of him, it was like feeling that pain again.

Jin rubbed his wrists subconsciously, soothing the spots where the rope was squeezing them, while he was captured in the dirty barn. He could still smell that awful place, where he had to endure the torture, which almost killed him and where he had to listen to all those disgusting things Grenet had said. And Jin knew that he would never get it out of his head...

The judgement was stated and the Death was already sharpening its scythe for that bastard, but somehow Jin was not satisfied with that. For everything what Grenet did, for Kame´s mother, for himself, for the sheriff, for Kame… He would have rather killed him himself, and slowly, very slowly. That man didn´t deserve a mercy of fast death. Jin would like to see that fucking smile to disappear from his ugly face. And he would see it soon; that was for sure…

Jin looked up to notice that Kame was watching him. The younger one didn´t look any happier than he felt.

“Do you want to stay here for the execution?” Jin asked him on a low voice.

Kazuya repaid his glance for a while, before he sighed and focused on his beer again.

“I don´t know… What meaning would it have?”

“We would be sure, he will not bother us ever again,” Jin replied stiffly.

Kame pondered about it a little, before he nodded: “All right, we´ll stay then…”

Jin thought that they might have start to discuss, what they should do then, when this whole troublesome case would be over, but before he could open his mouth, he was stopped by the two shots, which landed on the table right next to their beers. Just at the first sight, Jin could tell it was not any cheap whiskey. According to the familiar alluring smell, it was tequila. He looked up surprised as well as Kazuya.

Mr. Harada was standing next to them with the third glass in his hand.

“You both seem you need this,” he stated so strictly, that none of them bothered to oppose. He also raised his glass for the toast as the first one. “To justice.”

Without any complaints both guys threw the liquid into their throats and Jin´s eyes widened immediately.

“Wow, this is incredibly good,” he evaluated the drink, bowing his head appreciatively.

“Glad to hear that,” Harada stated and placed the whole bottle in front of them. “This is on the house,” and not waiting for any reaction, the man returned to the bar to serve other customers.

Both guys stared at the temptation on their table for a while, then at each other. And then Jin took the bottle into his hand and poured them next two shots…

*

“Hey… Kazu…”

“…what, …Jin…Jin?”

“I don´t… remember so many… stairs! We missed our… floor, didn´t we?”

“No, we… didn´t, silly.”

“Are you… sure?”

“Of course! Hey! Hey, slowly… Hold on the banister!”

“I´m… holding it!”

“No… You... You´re holding onto me…”

“Hmm, but you too… Onto me!”

“Aah, right…”

“How many more… stairs?”

“Not sure… Let me see... Ten?”

“Oh, no!! That´s too many!”

“Don´t make… this pouting face on me.”

“Why?!”

“It´s too… cute.”

“Is that a… complaint?”

“Actually…not...”

“It´s ok then… But I have enough of...stairs…”

“Hey! Hey! What are you…”

Kazuya´s attempt to keep both of them standing failed, as Jin simply sat down on the stairs and dragged him along.

“Jin…” Kame whined. “There are only five left…”

“Not going further... Until we…finish this,” Jin showed him the almost empty bottle proudly.

“Oh, no… You took that with you?!” but the younger one complained only casually, as he drank too much to care anymore, as well as Jin did.

“Cheers!” Jin raised the bottle to his lips and took a long gulp. “God, the best drink I´ve ever…had,” he said and handed it over to Kame. “Harada is...awesome.”

“He is,” Kame agreed, before he did the same with the rest of the tequila and very carefully put the empty bottle aside at the edge of the stairs. The glass staggered anyway, but fortunately didn´t fall down.

The younger one looked at the other sitting next to him, who was enjoying the flavour of the last shot with closed eyes.

“Don´t sleep yet,” Kame scolded Jin.

“I don´t… I´m thinking…”

“Oh, really? What...about?”

Jin kept silent for a while.

“Is there any tequila left?” he asked then.

“Nope,” Kame replied, shaking his head sadly.

“Damn…”

“I think we both had… enough.”

“Well… almost, I´d say.”

Kame shifted a little closer and attached his shoulder to Jin´s.

“Do you...feel better...now?”

“Yeah… I do… And you?”

“I´m fine… For now. But I´m afraid...of the morning,” the younger one admitted.

“Let´s not think about horrible things like that…” Jin pouted.

“But you think of... something else, right?” Kazuya asked quietly.

“Yeah…” Jin nodded. “I can´t get that fucker out... of my mind…”

Kame leant his head over Jin´s shoulder.

“I´m sorry to hear that…”

“Me too… Especially after... the damn best bottle of alcohol in this pub… It´s just that… I cannot bear…”

“You don´t have to... explain, Jin,” Kame interrupted him. “You don´t have to... remember that again.”

“No, no, I don´t mean the …barn, right now. Even though... it´s a part of it.”

Kame straightened up and looked at gloomy Jin sleepily.

“What is it then?”

“I... I cannot bear the idea of him…hurting you.”

The younger one just stared at him, while Jin continued slowly.

“He tried to...rape you, didn´t he?” he asked directly thanks to the influence of alcohol in his blood. Otherwise he wouldn´t have been able to let those words out his mouth.

Kazuya took a breath: “Jin…”

“He did, back then...” Jin insisted. “When you were so... beaten up.”

And Kame nodded, not trying to conceal it anymore, but not being able to put that horrible memory into the words.

“I hate him,” the older one stated. “I hate him... and I want to see him dead.”

“And we both will, Jin…” Kazuya whispered. “The execution will be soon… Come on, it´s late…” he stood up on his heavy legs. “We should sleep… at least a little.”

Jin grabbed the banister and very slowly he got up too, staggering heavily, so Kame supported him from the side, even though he had some problems with own balance too.

“He deserves to...suffer,” Jin murmured as they proceeded up the stairs again. “For what he did to you…”

“No...” Kame opposed. “He should suffer for... what he did to you...”

But Jin shook his head violently.

“I don´t care what… what he did to me, but… he shouldn´t have touched… you. And he will never… do it... again...” Jin started to be incomprehensible and Kame kept silent.

When they finally reached the door of Jin´s room, the older one was already half asleep. Kame dragged him to the bed and let him lie down gently, pulling his shoes off.

Jin didn´t even open his eyes and started to breathe regularly in no time. Kame considered it was not worth of going into his own room, especially when the whole world was spinning around him in the tequila roundabout. And the bed was wide enough for both of them, so he just pulled the coat off of his shoulders clumsily, and squeezed himself between the wall and Jin.

Kazuya leant over the beautiful face and fondled Jin´s hair away from his forehead tenderly. And as he was sure that the older one couldn´t hear him, without any thinking, he whispered right into Jin´s ear: “I love you.”

Then Kame let his head fall on the pillow too, pressing himself close to Jin´s warm form and fell asleep right away.


	43. Ice

**F** or Kazuya, waking up from that night´s sleep felt more like regaining his senses back after long unconsciousness. As his mind was slowly floating back to reality, he started to be aware of his surroundings. Feeling incredibly heavy, he was unable to move, but at the same time he was sure about being completely safe. An arm circled around his form gave him that feeling of safety and he wished to remain in its hug forever. However, quite soon he realized, that his own head didn´t have such a good effect on his current condition.

Kame´s eyelids were glued together firmly and it took him a few attempts to open them. The face of a sleeping young man right in front of him brought a soft smile on his lips.

But Kazuya´s smile disappeared almost immediately, when a hammer hit him somewhere inside his skull, making his vision blurry and full of tiny stars. He couldn´t suppress a painful gasp and he curled up in a desperate attempt to escape that sudden torture.

Just faintly, he was able to scold himself in his mind that he had probably drunk more than enough last night…

*

Jin was pulled out of his deep sleep by some disturbing sounds and movements. As soon as he recognized the heavy exhales coming from the slim body next to his own, he opened his eyes to see Kame´s face contorted in pain.

“Kazu? What is it?” he asked startled.

Jin heard own voice hoarse and almost unrecognizable. Right after he asked that question, he was attacked by the awful throbbing drums in his ears, which made him shut his eyelids again. Only then he realized, what was wrong with Kame. What was wrong with both of them, actually. They had a hangover as hell.

“Shit…” Jin hissed out palming his face.

He was kind of used to the morning states like this; but not Kame. The younger one usually didn´t drink much of any alcohol, and they had quite a huge bottle of tequila last night, plus all those glasses of beer...

Jin had already experienced worse mornings, but despite that it took him almost forever to sit up carefully, suppressing the dizziness, which was trying to take over him. Kazuya remained lying on the bed, curling up like a child and whining softly. Jin reached out to pat the younger´s shoulder comfortingly.

“Hold on a minute, ok?” he said quietly. “I´ll be right back…”

The drums in Jin´s head sped up their cruel beats, when he stood up slowly and it took him a while to overcome the awful nausea. He was not sure about anything what happened the previous night, after they successfully consumed a half of liquid in the precious bottle and he really didn´t want to think about that at the moment.

Strongly focused on keeping his legs steady, Jin took the empty washbowl from the table and set off on the long trip downstairs for some fresh water.

*

When Jin put his head right under the flow of ice-cold water from the pump on the back yard, his mind cleared up very quickly. Not that it would make him feel better, but he was capable of thinking at least.

He noticed that he was still dressed in his clothes from the previous day and that his right hand hurt like hell. Guessing about the time, he thought it was around noon already, as the weak sun beams were flooding the saloon´s building and the stalls in front of him. Despite the sunny day it was damn cold, and Jin´s breathing was creating thick smoke clouds in the air. He started to shake a little, so he filled up the sink hastily and headed back inside. He put the water aside at the stairs and walked through the empty taproom to the kitchen first, from where some nice smell was coming out.

“Er... good morning...” Jin greeted politely to let the cook lady know about his presence.

Miss McBain, who was dancing around the stove and a few pots preparing some meal, turned to him.

“Oh, finally awake, young man!” she welcomed him amused. “It´s almost noon already, but good morning to you, too.”

“I´m sorry to bother you, Miss McBain, but could I ask you for some coffee?” Jin requested apologetically, even though the woman seemed more like having fun than being angry.

 Miss McBain wiped her hands into the towel and raised her eyebrows.

“Coffee?” she repeated. “Don´t even think about it!” the chipper lady crossed the kitchen to the small cellar door. “I´ll give you something else instead,” she decided, already searching through the shelves.

“It´s rather for my friend than for me...” Jin murmured, rubbing the last sleepy mess off of his eyes.

“I so knew that!” Miss McBain reacted, looking out from the door. ”Our dear Kame feels worse than you, right?”

“Well…” Jin was not sure about what to say.

“Here, give him these,” the woman didn´t pay attention to Jin´s embarrassment and forced the small jar of pickles into his hand. “This is much better for hangover. And after that come down here, the chicken broth is almost ready.”

“…thank you,” Jin nodded gratefully.

“Men… Unable to learn, really,” he heard that nice lady complaining for herself in the kitchen as he set off on a hike up the stairs.

*

Kazuya was still in the position, in which Jin had left him, not even opening his eyes, when the older one entered the room. Only now Jin sensed the awful smell of heavy air, which was filling up the space, so right after he put the washbowl and the jar with sour cucumbers from Miss McBain aside, he went to open the window.

He also undressed from his coat and shirt, which smelled like it was washed with beer, and took a small towel from the wardrobe. He soaked it in the cold water first and then sat down on the bed carefully, not to shake with the mattress too much. Jin folded the towel into the long rectangle and leant over Kame, who was pressing his forehead against the bed sheets.

“Kazu… Come on... This will help you,” Jin made the younger one turn on his back gently and placed the towel over his forehead.

Kame stiffened at first, before a soft relieved sigh escaped his dry lips.

“Thanks…” the suffering guy whispered and raised one of his hands slowly to press the cold stuff against his skin more.

Jin stood up again to take the pickles from the table, took one out and chewed on it carefully, waiting for the agreement of his stomach. It was really sour at first, but as soon as he gulped it down, he had to admit that it was really good.

He returned to his place next to Kame again, just at the moment the younger one dared to open his eyes.

“Don´t tell me there´s the sun outside,” he murmured heavily, while frowning in front of the light.

“It is,” Jin confirmed, enjoying the taste of the second cucumber.

“Hell, what time…?” Kazuya asked quietly.

“Almost noon,” he informed the younger one calmly.

“Aah…” Kame moaned again, which Jin considered quite cute.

The younger one sat up carefully, keeping the towel on his head.

“This is…horrible…” Kame breathed out heavily, trying to overcome the dizziness, which was basically blinding him. “I will never…”

“Don´t say that,” Jin cut in, knowing exactly what the other wanted to say. “It is _always_ a lie.”

Kame looked at him through narrow eyes.

“What the hell... are you eating?” he asked confused, not able to recognize the content of the jar the other was holding.

“Pickles from Miss McBain,” Jin responded satisfied with the effect of the fresh sourness. “You want some?”

Kazuya put on an expression of clear disgust: “Not really…”

“Later then…” Jin put the jar down on the floor and reached towards Kame, grabbing his arm gently. “Come here, you shouldn´t get up yet.”

“I´m quite sure I´m not even able to…” Kame stated weakly and let Jin drag him down.

“Turn it inside out,” the older one advised him, taking the towel into his hand and replacing it onto his forehead again.

Kame let himself rest against Jin´s chest, closing his eyes, while the older one circled one arm around his body, soothing him slowly. Despite Kazuya still felt awfully, Jin´s embrace made that headache and sickness much bearable. In addition to it, the fresh air and cold compress on his poor head helped as well.

In his mind, Kame cursed alcohol, scolding himself for not holding back a little. He also realized that his memories about the last evening were blurry and confusing. For example, he was really not sure, how they managed to get into one bed together, but he remembered some emotional discussion on the stairs, despite the point of it was a mystery to him.

Speaking of one bed… Jin´s bare chest couldn´t escape Kame´s attention despite the heavy hangover and feeling the older one´s fingers running slowly over the skin on his waist, he had a hunch they cannot stay like this for long if they want to get up at all...

Despite that he almost purred like a satisfied kitten, when the other hand started to fondle his hair softly.

 

 _How could I ever think that something like this is wrong?_ Jin thought, as he ran through the scrubby hair of the younger one with his fingers.

The weight of Kazuya´s body resting on his, his breathing and that small smile, which finally appeared on the frowning face, brought him an urge to pull the guy even closer and never let him go. It was oversensitive of him, but he didn´t care.

“Is it better?” Jin asked quietly, while he kept caressing the younger one.

“Much…” Kame whispered, cuddling even closer to him.

“Good… I´m sorry, Kame. I shouldn´t have let you drink that much.”

“You´re not my guard, Jin…” the other one objected. “I´m responsible for myself. I should have been more careful... Are _you_ all right?” he asked then.

“Yeah, I´m fine…” Jin confirmed, ignoring the persistent drums inside his temples. “I just need to eat something. Miss McBain invited us for the chicken broth.”

Kame fidgeted in his arms a little.

“I don´t know if I´m able to eat…”

“You have to,” Jin persuaded him. “And it smelled really good.”

“All right,” Kame sighed. “Just give me a minute…”

“Gladly even two,” Jin assured him, still soothing the younger´s warm skin.

*

 

The hot soup made by Miss McBain was truly awesome and it managed to cheer both youngsters up, as well as to get some of their strength back. Despite that annoying headache didn´t cease completely, it was easy to ignore it. Especially, when their attention had to focus on something else…

As soon as they spotted the facial expression of Mr. Harada, who came inside the kitchen shortly after they thanked to the kind woman for the soup, both Kame and Jin knew something was wrong. Their suspicion got only stronger, when the saloon´s owner eyed them both with a frown between his eyebrows and then sat down onto the free chair with a heavy sigh.

“It´s good you´re here,” Harada said and refused an offer of Miss McBain, who wanted to serve him with a lunch. “Otherwise I´d have to wake you up...”

“What happened?” Jin asked while his stomach clutched with a very bad feeling.

Kame focused on Mr. Harada too, his whole body tense.

“I have bad news for you, I´m afraid,” the man seemed really uneasy about the topic.

“Is it about that fuss in the morning?” Miss McBain asked standing next to the sink, where she was washing the dishes.

“Yes, unfortunately it is…” her employer confirmed with a heavy nod.

“What fuss?” impatient Jin requested an answer.

“In the jail,” the older man replied unwillingly. “Grenet escaped. Probably sometimes during the night...”

Both young men stared at Harada with completely blank expressions for a while, unable to comprehend his words.

“Right in the morning, Captain Walker found the two of his soldiers, who were watching over the prisoner, dead,” Harada continued heavily. “According to Dr. Best, they were strangled. That´s why nobody noticed something went wrong; they did it quietly.”

Kame´s face turned deadly pale, but he remained motionless, while Jin jumped up from his chair, which fell down with a loud thud.

“What the hell are you talking about?!” he exclaimed. “How could that fucker get away?!” Jin´s voice was uncontrollably loud filling the whole room with such a strong fury that Madame Cook glanced at him and backed off a little.

“I talked to the captain,“ Mr. Harada reacted gloomily. “It´s clear that Grenet had some help from outside. Those two guardians were good soldiers and they were observant; it was impossible for him to overpower both of them from his cell.”

“There should have been more guards!” Jin burst out. “What were they thinking?!”

The young gunman was understandably furious, but he was slashing out on the wrong person. Harada understood the youngster´s anger, but that didn´t mean he would allow Akanishi to misbehave on his property.

“Don´t yell in my house, young man,” Mr. Harada warned Akanishi strictly.

Jin bit his tongue to keep himself silent and repaid the man´s firm glance.

“Where´s Captain Walker?” he asked then, trying to get his burning anger under some control.

“Out it the woods, searching for Grenet,” Harada replied.

Jin set off towards the door immediately, but the next words of Harada stopped him.

“There´s nothing you can do right now, Akanishi. If anyone has a chance to find that fugitive, it´s Walker. He has a huge lead in front of you.”

Jin was standing in the doorway, with his shoulders shaking, as he was clenching his fists, while Kame kept staring into nothing silently.

“Just wait for Walker, Akanishi, that´s the wisest you can do…” the saloon´s owner recommended him.

*

 

For Harada, it could have been the wisest thing to do, and somewhere inside Jin admitted that the man was right, but that long waiting definitely felt like the hardest task he had ever faced.

Was there really nothing he could do? What was the chance that Walker could track Grenet down and capture him again, if the prisoner really escaped in the evening already? Pretty fucking small...

But would it make any difference, if he wandered through the woods aimlessly himself? He might have been able to find some tracks, but would he be able to catch up with that bastard? And with anyone else who was with the fugitive? Because it was damn sure that Karnaka´s men set Grenet free.

_Damn... Damn it all!_

Jin just couldn´t stay still. He kept pacing across the saloon´s veranda with the loud thuds of his heavy boots, waiting for the soldiers´ return. Kazuya was sitting on the railing, lost deep in his thoughts, his beautiful features troubled, as Jin kept passing by him.

“I can´t stand this,” Jin snapped, when he noticed that the sun on the unusually clear sky was already inclining to the west and the freezing was getting stronger with the late afternoon.

Kame glanced at him without any reaction.

“After everything what he did, he will just get away so easily?! What the _fuck_?!” the older one couldn´t hold that hopeless anger inside anymore and swore loudly.

“Captain might find him…” Kame suggested quietly.

“Heh, sure,” Jin snorted sarcastically. “Bastards like Grenet are always the lucky ones! Instead of paying for his crimes, he will just keep making the hell of people´s lives!”

“Jin... Try to stay calm. We should wait for Captain´s return and…”

“And what?!” Jin interrupted Kame´s attempt to ease him up. “He will tell us that the track after that bastard is long gone. I´m sick of the idea Grenet is free to do whatever he likes!”

Suddenly, Kame stiffened in his position and his eyes went wide. Jin just took a breath for another line of swearing, when the younger one jumped down from the railing.

“We must go. Now,” Kazuya said and dashed inside the saloon, before Jin could have even opened his mouth.

“What?!” he called after the younger one. “Haven´t you just said that…”

But Kame didn´t hear him anymore, already running up the stairs. Jin caught up with him only in his room.

“Kame, what has come into you so suddenly?” Jin asked surprised, catching his breath, which he lost on the stairs. The younger one was packing up his stuff hastily.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Kame said, stuffing his clothes inside the leather bag.

“Well, who would feel well in this situation,” Jin assumed sarcastically. “What exactly do you mean?”

Kame tied the strings on the baggage and turned to face him.

“I should have thought about it before…” he reacted with a painfully serious expression. “Yesterday, that servant of Karnaka was at the trial.”

Jin frowned thinking about the previous day: “Cameron?” he asked.

“Yes,” Kame nodded. “And _even_ _he_ didn´t do anything to help Grenet back then. They were planning to get him out of the jail from the very beginning, that´s why he didn´t care about the death sentence at all.”

“I agree…” Jin reacted. “He behaved damn too much cocky for a man, who had been sent towards the gallows. But what makes you jump up because of this now?”

Kame took a deep breath: “If they just wanted Grenet to escape and run away, where are all Karnaka´s men then? Where are all former Grenet´s capers?”

Jin wondered about it for a while, before he nodded slowly: “It´s true that the saloon is suspiciously quiet today…”

“They got him out and they left the city with him,” Kame continued hastily. “But from the moment Harada told us about it, I wondered why? Where would they go?” he raised up an urgent question.

And Jin had realized what Kame was trying to say.

“You think that they might go after the Blackfeet Tribe again…?”

“Yes,” Kame confirmed, while his face was shadowed by worries. “That was Karnaka´s plan, wasn´t it? To get rid of the tribe once and for all. That was why he incited Major General Ord against them. But we solved it and Karnaka was definitely informed about that. And now, he doesn´t have to care about the soldiers anymore; there is just Walker and his men. There is nobody to stop him. So what if Karnaka sent his men to resolve his issues with the tribe finally?”

“You cannot know that for sure, Kame…” Jin tried to object the younger´s conclusion.

“But you think the same now, right?” the other insisted, remembering that damn evil smile of Grenet. It brought him creeps back then. “It would have been strange if he would let us and the tribe go just like that.”

“Yeah... You´re right…” Jin admitted. “It feels strange that they just attacked us before the trial once and there was quiet since then.”

“And that other man – Brad – he might have seemed lost, when we came to meet with General Ord before, but he _knew_ where the Blackfeet´s new sanctuary was,” Kame continued. “So what if they are going there at this very moment, under Grenet´s lead?”

Jin frowned: “I hate to say that, but that would fit for that fucker…”

“We have to get there first,” Kame stated firmly. “We have to warn them, make them escape, anything,” the younger one kept talking, while he was gathering the rest of his things. “And we must leave _right now_.”

Jin had a full understanding of Kame´s attitude, but he also realized that it could be a very bad idea.

“But… Kame, it´s going to be dark soon...”

“I don´t care!” Kazuya lashed out, suddenly furious, his face red and eyes burning. “I will ride during the night if necessary!”

Jin repaid the younger´s look for a while. He saw that behind that anger there was a deep fear, which he started to feel as well. If Karnaka´s men really headed to the village, then Beara, the other kids, Liwan and everybody else were in danger. They were Kazuya´s family and the younger one was overwhelmed by worries for them, but despite it might have seemed hasty, he was right that they should set off right away. Even though they might be late already…

“All right,” Jin said then. “Just let me pack my stuff.”

Kame nodded.

“I will go to prepare the horses meanwhile,” he said, already heading to the door.

“Hey…” Jin grabbed the younger one for the wrist before he could run off. “They will be fine…”

“I wish you were right, Jin,” Kame almost whispered, slipped out of Jin´s grip and disappeared in the corridor.

***

 

The bright bluish moonlight was flooding each forest glade across which they passed with its cold attention, creating the tiny sparkles in the frozen snow. The power of the full moon was also coming through the tree tops above them, sending the narrow beams of light down to the ground, which made the whole forest look like a magical place from some winter fairy tale.

The utter silence was lying on the mountains that clear night, except the crunching of snow under the hooves of two tireless animals – of a white mare, which legs were almost invisible on the background of the silver surface, and of a black stallion, which figure seemed to be even darker than in daylight. But the riders in their saddles had absolutely no interest in the breathtaking scenery and they were focused only at the fastest possible progress through the night woods.

Jin kept observing the slim figure riding the mare just one meter in front of his own horse full of worries. He had already seen the younger one troubled a few times, but no matter how hard the situation had been, Kazuya almost always kept onto his composure, dealing with any difficult happenings with a cool head. Not counting the period after the death of his mother, of course.

But now, Kame was so overfilled with fear for the Blackfeet Tribe, that he became reckless. Jin understood that; Kazuya´s reaction was not surprising at all, considering that the Indians were the last close-to-a-family people left to him.  However, rushing to the pueblo without clear thinking could have been really dangerous, in case they were right about Karnaka´s gunmen attacking it. So, Jin was following the younger´s lead determined to keep a watchful eye over him all the time…

 

The dark alarming clouds gathering on Kame´s mind were urging him to rush forward.

There had been so many signs that Raynold Karnaka had been planning to do some calculating cruelty again, from Brad leading Major General Ord to the tribe, to Cameron´s presence at the trial, but he ignored them all. Also Grenet´s attitude during the judicial process was a clear proof of his certainty that he would be free soon, but Kame was too consumed with own emotions to realize that. He should have paid more attention to it; he should have reacted sooner...

Kame wished so much to be wrong in his assumptions. Maybe that Grenet´s capers simply fled the city along with their boss and at the moment they were rushing as fast from their chasers as it was only possible, heading in a completely different direction. Neither Kame nor Jin spotted any footprints along the way, anyway. Maybe the tribe was really safe from them. But Kame couldn´t remain calm, unless he made sure about it.

*

Two young riders made a pause during their hasty journey for just a few hours. And that was only when Jin insisted on it, warning Kazuya, that if they kept going on like that, their poor animals would collapse from exhaustion soon.

So they allowed Kuro, Ukushi and also themselves to have some rest in the lee of two huge rocks, where they warmed up a little at the small fire, before they proceeded deeper into the winter landscape. Unfortunately, during that short break none of them turned a blind eye for more than a few minutes, but at least both animals continued their difficult trip with new strength.

*

 

The journey to the place took them a half of the usual time. Just when they reached the dark crevasse leading to the Indian village, the first beams of weak sunshine touched the top of the cliff, where Jin had spotted the guarding Indian before, when he came to the winter sanctuary of the tribe for the first time.

Both he and Kame were breathing heavily, and Ukushi with Kuro barely kept standing, their skin shining with sweat. Both young men felt hot and damn cold at the same time. The early morning was freezing everything around them with such a power, that Jin thought he wouldn´t be able to move with his fingers so far holding Kuro´s reins.

Kazuya stopped and Jin sided with him. They stared at the unguarded entrance in anxious expectation. But there was only silence. Deep, dead silence. No guards, no early Indian heading for a hunt, no kids coming to meet them.

Kame was standing there, with his eyes red from tiredness and with the dark circles under them, as if the frost finally got to him and connected his feet with the snow. And Jin realized that he smells something in the air… It was a faint smoke, which didn’t feel right.

The younger one didn´t seem to move any time soon, so Jin was the one to break their numbness. He tied Kuro´s bridle around the small tree, took off the gloves from his hands and tried to warm his fingers by breathing on them. Then he grabbed his revolvers and stepped right between the two rock walls, aiming with the guns straight forward. Almost right after that he heard Kazuya´s quick steps, when the younger one woke up from his anxious stiffness and followed him.

The path through the dark gap felt to take longer than Jin had remembered, and with each step he could smell the smoke stronger. His senses got sharper, focused at any unusual sound or movement, all his muscles tense from what they might find at the end of their way.

Then the rock walls opened up and Jin looked out carefully, letting his eyes check the close surroundings. Nothing moved there, nothing made a slightest noise.

He felt Kame´s shaky hot breath on his cheek; the younger one was so close behind him, trying to see the most he could. But they couldn´t figure out if anything happened from that place.

They left the protection of the stone walls together and took a few cautious steps forward, to have a clear view on the Indian village. Or more precisely, on what was left of it…

Instead of the wigwams, which used to stand there proudly in the circle, there were only the piles of smoking black mess. Now they could see the source of that strange smell, which would have been much stronger, if the freezing didn´t lead the smoke up and away from them - the pueblo was burnt down to the ground.

“No…” Kazuya breathed out weakly, before he dashed off towards that horrible picture, totally forgetting about any caution.

Jin knew it would be useless to ask the younger one for some prudence, so he just rushed after him with both revolvers ready, trying to check all sides at once. He was worried that the attackers might still have been somewhere close. Just shortly Jin wondered, how the hell anyone got to the pueblo, when they didn´t see any tracks except their own. But as soon as he caught up with Kame and they entered the centre of the village, all speculations flew off of his mind, which went completely blank. Suddenly, he _couldn´t_ _think_ at all.

Everywhere they looked there were dead bodies.

The young warriors were basically piled up in the front, close to the forest, in which Jin and Kame had played the snow battle with Indian kids not so long ago. The older men were scattered behind them, and their frozen forms were followed by the women and the elders. As both young men staggered further inside the former village in shock, the scenario of what had happened there was picturing up in front of them.

The whole tribe obviously fought against the attackers, they didn´t give in easily. Many various weapons were spread all around the motionless Indians. But they were all dead. There were wounds after the gunshots clearly visible on the bodies, on some even more than one.

Jin´s eyes couldn´t stop moving, as he kept observing the frozen ground, which was revealing more and more white faces with widely open eyes. The blank eyes, which stared into the black nothing...

Some tribe members were lying on the surface, which seemed strange for Jin, until he realized what had caused it. The heat from the flames, which had consumed the Indians homes, melted the snow around and it froze up during the night, creating that dark mess of frozen water, mud and blood.

It was so horrible and cruel that it was hard to believe his own eyes, but there was no escape from the truth. The Blackfeet Tribe was mercilessly wiped out and the Indian bodies were left on the exact places, where they had fallen.

Jin kept staggering across the icy surface, somehow clinging to a faint hope he would find any sign of life, until the moment he recognized one white face. It was that small boy he was talking with about Kuro. The one, who was so brave to greet him first, when Jin arrived to the pueblo. The boy had fallen nearby his family´s wigwam, and he was almost completely covered by the body of an Indian woman, probably his mother. She tried to protect him and failed miserably. Jin didn´t even know the boy´s name...

The young gunman couldn´t move anymore, he froze on the spot and stared into the eyes, which kept looking into nowhere in the same numb way as the others. Those eyes were almost blue instead of brown, as the boy´s eyelashes were covered by the tiny crystals of ice...

Jin gulped down heavily, realizing that both his hands, in which he was still holding the revolvers, were shaking. He felt the rising pity and horror in his chest, trying to overwhelm him.

How could anyone do such a horrible and heartless act?

Jin just couldn´t comprehend it, even though he knew the answer. There was only one man, with such a power to command the gang of cold-blooded killers, willing to use it by all means to achieve his goals. Kame was right from the very beginning…

_Kazuya..._

The thought of the younger one made Jin tear his eyes off the poor dead boy and he searched for Kazuya hastily. Kame was standing in the middle of that nightmarish scene, completely motionless, his face was stiff and his eyes wide as lakes.

Something clutched in Jin seeing that desperately numb expression on the younger´s face. It was like Kame was trying incredibly hard to deny, what he saw around. Despite he must have known it was useless…

 

Kame wished so much it to be a nightmare - terrible, fearsome and bloody, but nothing more than a stupid dream. But all his senses were telling him that it was the cruel reality. He heard that dead silence ruling over the once lively village, he smelt the odour of recently burnt wigwams and furs, and most of all he _saw_.

Kazuya saw the Indian woman, who was always the very first person praising him, when he accomplished to do something just like a real Indian boy. He saw two young men, who were of the same age as himself and remembered how they chased each other in the woods, happy from their first free hunting together without a supervision of the adults. And he saw the Chief, the man who gained Kame´s honest admiration, who apparently had fallen among the last ones, with many heavy injuries all over his body.

They were the people, whom he had known since he was just a kid, whom he respected and treasured. And they were all dead.

Kame was not able to think properly. The only thing, which he could figure out at the moment, was that all of it was his fault. He was the one bringing up the lethal danger on the villagers, by the continuous opposing to Karnaka. He was not able to help them and the blame for the death of his second family fell onto his head. And it was _unbearable_. He started to shake; his knees got weak and they gave in under him.

Kazuya didn´t care if he would fell down among the dead, he would have deserved it. But suddenly, a strong hand caught him under his arms and supported him firmly, until he found his lost balance. Kame knew it was Jin´s hand, but he didn´t look at him, he couldn´t. He was too consumed by pain, which awoke in him without any warning and by guilt, which started to grin at him in the form of a certain smile...

It was his fault. All of what happened to the Blackfeet Tribe was his fault... Only his...

 

Jin had a hunch, which made him approach Kame just in time to catch him before the younger one could have collapsed. Holding him up, Jin felt how much the other was shaking and it terrified him almost more than the bodies all around them. He tried to catch Kazuya´s look, but the younger one kept staring into the ground blindly, making short faint exhales.

Jin hid the second revolver back into its sheath, just as the other one a moment ago, and reached his hand out to place it at Kame´s face.

“Kazuya...” he said softly, pushing the younger´s face to turn slowly. “Look at me...”

When the unnaturally wide eyes finally focused on Jin, it hurt him almost physically. He had never seen that kind of expression on Kame. But his eyes were the worst. There was a swirl of pain, tears, shock and guilt in them, which made Jin strengthen his grip.

“Hey... It´s not your fault, Kazuya.”

The younger one said nothing at all; he just stared at Jin, his body shaking even more than before.

“Kazu...” something literally broke in Jin´s chest seeing Kame like that. He leant closer, attaching his forehead with the younger´s, repeating his name. “Kazuya... Please, stop this,” he whispered heavily. “You´re scaring me off...”

Kame´s lips opened and a hoarse voice came out of them: “It´s my... It´s my f...”

“No!” Jin interrupted him harshly, taking Kame´s face between his palms. “Forget it right now! You _know_ it´s not true!”

Kazuya took a long heavy breath and then the pain ruled over the guilt in his eyes.

“You know it, Kazuya,” Jin repeated stubbornly. “Don´t blame yourself...”

“Jin...” Kame whispered just his name and wasn´t able to continue.

“I know, I know... It hurts too much. But it is _not_ your fault. It´s not,” he kept persuading the younger one desperately.

To Jin´s relief Kazuya nodded slightly, still not being able to speak. Jin intended to lead him away from that scene of death, but some noise behind his back prevented him from doing that.

A sound of the ice cracking made Jin let Kame go, and turn around quickly, while raising his revolver in the direction. And he found himself aiming at the Indian with the bow in his hands, ready to shoot off too.

Kame stiffened and took a shaky inhale. Both Jin and the incoming red man slowly lowered their weapons at the same moment.

“Akanishi… Kame…” the Indian standing among the two burnt wigwams recognized them.

“Liwan…” Kame breathed out in a painful relief.

At least his friend was apparently alive, although Liwan´s face didn´t seem any livelier than of those, who were resting on the frozen ground.

 


	44. Unfinished business

**J** in moved away from Kazuya, only when the younger one collected himself enough to remain on his feet without trembling, and with Liwan standing close enough to support him if anything. Only then the horrified young gunman returned through the rock crevasse for their horses, which were waiting there patiently and innocently, not aware of the brutal happenings in the village.

When Jin got back leading Kuro and Ukushi on their reins, Liwan led them away from the destroyed pueblo, towards the mountain, which created the natural, though painfully useless, protection of the tribe. All three of them walked up along the secret and almost invisible path, until they reached the cave, which entrance could have been spotted only from a few-step distance.

Kame almost started to cry, when they found practically all children and most of women from the village hiding there. But in front of the survivors, the younger one was able to keep his emotions back somehow. Jin watched him worriedly, when Kazuya squeezed little Beara in his hug. The Indian girl didn´t sob, despite having more than enough reasons for it, she was just shaking like a leaf in the wind, hiding herself in the young man´s arms.

The other kids were very quiet, obviously tired and scared to death. The Indian women were also sinking in silence and watched their arrival with tearful eyes, hugging their children tightly.

Along with Liwan, also Hawk Eye, who accompanied them on the search for Sioux rebels, survived the attack and two other young Indians. From the elder people, there was just the Shaman. Cloud Dancing had a bloody scratch on his head and a bandage on his right leg. The old Indian observed Jin and Kame with a serious and unreadable expression, not saying a single word.

After a touchy and tearful welcome, three young men gathered at the cave´s entrance, where Liwan´s father joined them soon after. They kept watching the fading smoke from the pueblo, which was now hidden behind the trees, while Liwan told them about what happened before they arrived.

“I was on my way to hunt, when they came,” the young Indian started on a quiet voice. “The group of white gunslingers with scarves over their faces... We underestimated them, when we thought we were safe here. Their spy probably found out more than we expected. They did not come through the woods. They built the wooden rafts and crossed the lake.”

Kazuya was listening to his friend in shocked silence, while Jin was trying hard to control himself and not to yell in pure frustration.

“There were many of them, too many,” Liwan continued heavily. “Before our guards realized something was happening, they were already in the village... I heard gunshots, so I returned. They had no mercy... They wanted to kill all…” the Indian paused for a while, his very dark eyes staring somewhere into the distance. “I came across my father first; his leg was injured. Beara was with him. I dragged them to safety first. Our women escaped into this cave, as it was agreed before, but not all of them made it. I went back to village again, as soon as all of them were safe, but… When I came, it was too late already.”

Liwan was standing there with his back straight, his head raised up proudly, but he was speaking on a moved voice, which revealed his true emotions clearly. It was hoarse and full of suppressed anger.

“Hawk Eye and the other two survived because they were out fishing,” the Indian continued, suddenly cutting the words as if with a sharp knife. “Everybody else was killed by White Faces. If they had found this hideout, they would have killed the rest of us too. They were looking for us, but they gave up eventually. I was watching them, when they left. They picked up their dead and crossed the lake again, landing somewhere on the south shore.”

Liwan finished the longest talk Jin had ever heard from him and fell silent. Kazuya remained next to him, the sorrow curving his beautiful face, while Liwan´s one was perfectly cold, except the burning fire in his eyes. Cloud Dancing was sitting on the stone behind them, curled up in the warm blanket, and seemed like he was not paying attention to them, as his face was completely blank.

“Who was leading them?” Jin just had to ask; he needed to hear it, even though he knew the answer already.

Liwan turned slowly and looked at him.

“That man who wanted to shoot me in Bozeman,” he replied with a pure hatred in his voice.

Kame closed his eyes, saying nothing at all.

“Grenet,” Jin spitted out that name with all disgust he felt.

“I thought so,” the Indian nodded. “I was not sure, as you said he was in prison.”

“He was. He was even condemned to death,” Jin informed him. “But unfortunately, he escaped. We found out about it yesterday, that´s why we came back...”

“Ah, so…” Liwan reacted quietly. “How did he escape?”

“Karnaka´s gunmen got him out. They killed the soldiers, who guarded him,” Jin replied frowning.

Liwan didn´t react on that.

The short silence followed, while they didn´t look at each other. Liwan, Kame and Jin were sinking in their own thoughts for a short time. But despite that, there was some kind of agreement among three young men, which could be felt almost physically. The atmosphere was tense and heavy and the Shaman was watching their small circle with a painfully knowing look.

“This was definitely Karnaka´s order,” Kame whispered on a quivering voice suddenly, with his eyes still closed.

“Yes, I know... He wanted to get rid of our tribe for long,” Liwan added sharply.

Jin didn´t comment on it, his hands were hidden deep in his coat´s pockets and his eyes focused in the direction of the former pueblo.

Kame looked at his Indian friend wordlessly and Liwan repaid him that glance. And before the younger one could speak again, the Indian was faster.

“I will go with you,” Liwan said.

Kame stared at the young red man lost of words.

Jin still kept silent. He didn´t have to be a genius to know, what the two of them were probably thinking about. He was focused on the same thing for months already...

“Akanishi is not the only one seeking justice for that man anymore,” Liwan continued. “It is my duty to get payback for what was done to our tribe.”

“But you also have responsibility for the survivors, Liwan,” Kame objected. “You need to take care of the kids and women...”

The young Indian frowned. He knew that his white brother was right. There wasn´t anyone capable enough to take care of what was left from their tribe. But he had no intention to give up on the most important thing first, and that was a payback for all those dead, so that their spirits could rest in the Eternal Hunting Grounds in peace.

“I know and I will take care of them,” Liwan reacted determined. “But _this_ comes first. They can stay here for a short while. My main and most important task now is to avenge our tribe. The acts of that man cannot remain unpunished.”

“I understand, but...” Kame hesitated.

“There are no more excuses, Kame,” Jin joined the conversation. “I fully agree with Liwan. I wouldn´t be able to look at myself, if we didn´t do something. The time has come... And don´t even think you will omit me from this,” he stated with his eyes focused at the Indian.

“Not at all, Akanishi,” Liwan reacted. “As far as I remember, you were the first one who came up with revenge idea on that powerful White Face.”

“That´s completely right,” Jin nodded seriously. “And there´s nothing to wait for now. We know where Karnaka resides. The sooner we make our move, the less he will expect it.”

“But Grenet will not be there probably...” Kame assumed gloomily. “It would be too risky for Karnaka in the current situation.”

“We can deal with Grenet later,” Jin reacted. “Karnaka is the one giving the orders. And I will not let that old son of a bitch go with this at any costs.”

“I agree,” Liwan stated firmly.

Kame took a breath, already giving up on any objections. He wanted Karnaka and Grenet pay for what they did as well. He would just feel better if it did not bring Liwan and Jin into danger again.

“We need a plan,” he said, trying to suppress the shaking of his hands.

“We are three clever heads, we will figure something out,” Jin stated self-confident.

“For once I have no doubts about that,” the Indian nodded deadly serious.

*

 

It took them a few hours to discuss, what would be the best way to deal with Raynold Karnaka once and for all. When they were finished, none of youngsters wanted to lose any more time.

They had a specific goal now, on which they could focus and push the pain and sorrow a little deeper inside of them.

Only the old shaman didn´t say a word during the whole time; he just watched three young men gathered in the circle and discussing their payback. He didn´t say anything because he knew, that once they had decided, there was absolutely nothing what could stop them. And he didn´t even want to do that...

*****

 

There was one woeful task they had to accomplish first, before they could proceed with their plan.

Liwan, Kame, Jin and other three remaining young Indians had to gather all dead. There was no way they would let the poor Indians rot on the ground, thrown around like some puppets without strings.

Gradually, in common voiceless efforts, they placed all bodies into the rock cracks located north of the village. According to the usual customs of Blackfeet Tribe, the deceased were put inside, in the arms of cold rocks, along with their most precious belongings and covered by stones, to prevent wild animals from reaching them.

Cloud Dancing was preparing for the long rituals meanwhile, assuring his son that he would do them all by himself, so that Liwan could leave.

In the end, with the Shaman´s blessing, almost all men set off on the journey from the poor sanctuary. Only Cloud Dancing, all women and kids, and the youngest warrior stayed to protect them. Jin, Kame, Liwan, Hawk Eye and one of other two Indians left the mourning tribe behind.

They travelled together until the first big valley, which cut the Rocky Mountains landscape towards the north. The Indians separated from the two white men there, heading to their own task.

They kept watching the small group until the first turning, where Liwan turned his horse back to them and made that sign with his hand, which Jin had already seen before. Kame greeted him back, making the same circle in the air in front of him too. Then the Indian part of their expedition was gone and they continued towards the civilization, feeling much older than during the opposite journey, but at the same time more determined than ever.

***

 

The stalls behind Harada´s Saloon were almost empty, but still the warmness of the animal bodies was filling up the space, together with the smell of hay and faint scent of dung.

Jin was leaning over the wooden counter of one of many stables, listening to any suspicious noise, which might have warned him to hide himself. He was waiting for Kazuya´s return.

They reached Bozeman City two days after they witnessed the atrocity in the Indian pueblo, sneaking towards the saloon hopefully unseen. Jin refused to proceed on his own journey, unless they made sure about the situation in the city first. So Kame set off to check out on it, while he was left in the stalls impatient and nervous.

Who knew what else those fuckers of Karnaka might have planned? Who knew where Grenet was hiding at the moment?

Jin flinched at the sudden warm touch on his neck. But it was only Kuro, who sensed the tension of his master and nudged him with his muzzle, snorting into Jin´s ear. Jin turned to face his faithful black friend and caressed him gratefully. It was like Kuro always knew what to do to help him.

The fast light steps were heard outside the stalls. It could have been Kame, but it could have been also somebody else. Jin didn´t wait for the entrance to be opened, grabbed the top of the counter and jumped over it swiftly, hiding himself behind the strong body of his horse.

A gust of the ice-cold air blew inside, before the door was closed again. Jin didn´t see the owner of the steps from behind Kuro and he was too careful to look out, until the soft voice was heard: “Jin?”

“I´m here,” he let Kame know about himself, when he recognized him and approached the counter again.

The younger´s face relaxed a little, when he spotted the older one and stepped to Kuro´s stable from the opposite side.

“So?” Jin asked curiously.

“Captain and his soldiers are here; they´ve returned yesterday,” Kame informed him about what he had found out.

“And empty-handed, I guess,” the older one murmured.

“Unfortunately,” Kazuya nodded. “They had found some tracks after the big group of riders in the end, but they were old and Grenet long gone.”

“Did you tell Walker about what happened?” Jin asked.

“No, I haven´t talked with him yet, just with Harada. But I will inform him about it, I have a feeling we can trust the captain.”

“I feel the same about him,” Jin nodded in agreement. “Just… I suppose you do not intend to mention our… plan?”

“Of course not…” Kame replied quietly and he handed him a little package. “Here, something on the road. I asked Miss McBain to prepare a late lunch.”

“Thanks,” Jin took it with a grateful nod, taking it to Kuro´s saddle, feeling Kazuya´s worried look on himself.

“What about Grenet´s capers?” he asked, while hiding the food inside his bag.

“It seems almost all of them are back now,” Kame replied on a serious tone.

“Any troubles?”

“Not yet.”

Jin returned to the counter again and looked right into the younger´s eyes.

They stood there for a while; silent, and anxious about their separation, but there was no other option. If they wanted to do what they had decided, some proper cover was necessary. They couldn´t disappear both. It would have definitely turned against them later. And most of all, they were both determined to stop Karnaka forever and their personal desires had to step aside for the moment.

“Will you be all right?” Jin asked with his throat tight.

“I will… After we will be done with that inhuman man,” Kame whispered repaying his glance. “Jin, promise me, you´ll be careful,” he urged on the other.

Instead of a spoken reply, Jin leant closer to the younger one and placed a soft reassuring kiss on his lips. Kazuya backed off, putting one of his palms on Jin´s neck.

“ _Extremely careful_ ,” he insisted on his request, not letting Jin distract him.

“I promise,” Jin said. “Only in case you´ll promise me the same.”

“Deal,” Kame nodded with a heavy heart. “Will you find the way to the house?”

“Do you dare to doubt my sense of direction?” Jin asked, pretending to be insulted.

Kazuya´s smile was so sad, that Jin almost reconsidered his decision to leave. Just the idea of not knowing what would be happening with his beautiful bartender made him feel as on the rack.

“Of course not…” Kame assured him then.

“That´s good to hear... We´ll see each other soon, all right?” Jin wanted to sound encouragingly, but it didn´t turn out as good as he hoped. No matter how brave and determined Kame was trying to look, he was deeply shaken by that awful massacre and Jin hated the idea of leaving him there alone.

“I will be waiting,” Kame nodded and let his hand fall from Jin´s shoulder.

Jin mounted his faithful horse and led him through the exit opened by Kame. As he said before, it was time to settle the unfinished business. The time to show to Raynold Karnaka, there was justice in the world and that it could come to him from somebody else than from God, who was obviously too busy with other more important stuff to pay attention to one of many cruel bastards on the Wild West.

***

 

A sharp crack of the whip, which cut through the crystal-clear and frosty air, was followed by a painful screaming.

“I said no slacking off, shithead!” an angry voice of one of his guards resounded on the back yard, where a several of slaves were chopping off the wood for the supplies.

Raynold Karnaka let just another cloud of white smoke escape his lips, almost finishing his cigar. He had a good view from the veranda, so that he could observe the whole back part of his property comfortably seated in the armchair.

“Back to work! Now!” another strict order was heard and the punished slave crawled to gather as many wooden logs as he could.

The master of the white mansion smiled. Everything was working precisely just as the clock in his workroom. Everything and everyone was obeying his orders.

He had always enjoyed that feeling of power over other insignificant human beings. Being able to decide about other people´s lives or deaths brought him satisfaction. Nobody could resist him; everyone – women or men – were falling onto their knees in front of him. Nobody could stand in his way without paying the highest prize possible.

It took long years for him to reach this position, of being _the one who decides_. He might have been old now, but he was powerful and feared man, and he felt that everything what he had ever done was worth of this.

The slaves were working quietly and fast. Karnaka watched them from his armchair, dousing the cigar. They were nothing more than insects. Just tools, which kept his household in motion. The slaves had no meaning for him. But the more powerful and richer he was, the more he enjoyed his opponents. The wiser and stronger they were, the more he enjoyed playing the games with them.

Such as Major General Ord. It was interesting to face the skilful man after a long time, but he was already too focused on his upcoming retirement and he could have been easily influenced.

As for Captain Walker, that was a harder nut to crack. It was the man in his best years, clever, stubborn and worst of all – honest. He couldn´t be corrupted, he didn´t get discouraged by threats. The young military leader lost almost all his subordinates already, but he still didn´t give up. Even though Walker was not a big burden to him yet, Karnaka appreciated this man.

And then there were those two very annoying brats, who were stupid enough to make an enemy to themselves from _him_. He had to admit that they were very persistent and in a way he enjoyed dealing with them too.

They were like what they were thanks to his influence. Basically, both youngsters were his creations, probably chasing after their creator at the moment. He expected them to come; Kamenashi as well as Akanishi. He destroyed both of their families and now he stroke the final blow over them thanks to that great idea of his servant. Raynold would have been disappointed if they didn´t come for revenge for the Blackfeet Tribe. He was looking forward to meet them again.

He didn´t know what Akanishi was like before he came to his farm, and how much he was influenced by his decisions. But as came to Kamenashi, he knew that he was a very kind and nice man, a protector of those dirty red skins and totally fond of his poor sick mother. Karnaka was very curious about what could have awoken in the young man after all those disasters piled up on his head; what kind of man he was _now_.

Karnaka just had to make sure that his guards wouldn´t be so hasty to shoot them to death before his confrontation with both youngsters could have happened; that would be such a shame.

Math Grenet was a little different case. Raynold awoke all negative characteristics in the man and sharpened them into perfection. Math was a dangerous, but very effective tool to have at hand. He could always get out of control, but the thrill of that possibility satisfied Karnaka too.

Suddenly, Raynold was disturbed from his deep thoughts by the familiar voice behind his back.

“You should come inside, my lord. This freezing air is not good for your health.”

“Cameron…” Karnaka focused on his most loyal subordinate. “I expected you to return sooner…”

“I apologize, sir,” Cam lowered his head. “I was hold back in Bozeman.”

“I suppose you have a lot of news then,” Karnaka got up from his armchair slowly.

“Yes, sir. I will report you about everything. I had already prepared a hot tea inside.”

“You know me well, Cam,” Karnaka assumed, already heading back into the house. “That´s just what I need right now. But a little whiskey to it would do no harm...”

“It´s prepared too, my lord.”

*

 

“Everything was performed according to your orders, sir. Almost all Blackfeet Tribe´s Indians are dead. It seems that only a few women and kids escaped and they will not survive the winter in the mountains.”

Karnaka frowned unsatisfied at the first information.

“I said to kill them all,” he stated coldly.

“They resisted fiercely, sir. Meanwhile, those women hid themselves somewhere and Math and his men couldn´t find them.”

“In case they were looking for them at all,” Karnaka murmured.

“I doubt they would dare not to, sir.”

“All right... I will not bother with them; the main reason of it was reached... Where is Math now?”

“In Livingstone,” Cameron replied stiffly. “Though, he wasn´t happy about your following orders…”

“I don´t care about what he is or not happy,” the old man stated. “He should realize that I could have let him swing on the rope easily.”

“I suppose he realizes that, sir. But he became really difficult to deal with, I´m afraid he might get out of our control completely.”

“Why do you think so, Cameron? Explain in details,” Karnaka demanded.

“As you ordered, I met with him in Livingstone. He was already there in front of myself…”

*

_It was an early evening, when Cameron arrived to the dirty place, which dared to bear a notice ´Saloon´. Following the instructions of the place´s owner, who was one of many people in debt towards Cameron´s dear master, he headed to the small back room, which was hidden behind the main taproom. He heard some suspicious noises and moans from behind the door, but that didn´t stop him from opening them and going inside._

_The servant´s eyes narrowed as he observed the scene on the table in the corner of faintly lit room, where two bodies were moving against each other, exhaling fast between the heavy gasps for breath. Or more precisely to say, panting Grenet was almost crushing the skinny body of a painfully groaning harlot with his furious thrusts into her womb, using such a force that it was a miracle the poor table hold off against it._

_Cameron shut the door behind himself louder that necessary, but the sharp thud didn´t interrupt the man from finishing up his task at all. With a long satisfied exhale Grenet came inside the woman, despite she was hitting him over the chest to push the man away. The killer pulled out off her only when he caught his breath again._

_Cameron watched with an unmoved expression, as Grenet let the harlot go of his grip and zipped up his pants. The brunette slipped off the table shaking, her cheeks wet with tears. She folded her skirt down and looked at her customer._

_“I will pay you off later, get out now,” Grenet sent her away lazily, as he made himself comfortable in the chair._

_The woman hesitated; she was probably afraid she would not get paid at all._

_“But…”_

_“Get lost, bitch, if you don´t wanna piss me off!”_

_The harlot lowered her head, rushing to the door. Only then Cameron noticed it was a very young girl and not a woman, as he thought at the first glance. He waited till the door was closed again and focused on the man in front of him fully._

_Grenet had already lit up the cigarette between his lips and was welcoming him with a wide grin._

_“It took you so long that I got bored,” the man informed Cameron._

_“Your behaviour is disgusting as always,” Cameron assumed coldly._

_“Dear Cam... There´s nothing disgusting about fucking somebody. It´s just fun. You should try it sometimes,” Grenet mocked him satisfied. “At least once before you die.”_

_“I don´t think that you´re in the position to worry about me, Grenet. You were not supposed to let anyone see you here. You risk too much.”_

_“Nah, is there a warrant issued on me already?  I don´t think so. I will be fine.”_

_“We cannot risk that. You will not stay here,” Cameron stated firmly._

_“Says who?”_

_“Mr. Karnaka, of course. The order is clear – as inconspicuously as possible you will leave this area.”_

_“I don´t think so, I have some unfinished business here…” Grenet objected immediately._

_“Unfinished business?” Cameron repeated with his eye brows raised. “What do you mean?”_

_“Don´t act a stupid one, Cam. Indians were not the only annoying fuckers around here. I have a score to settle with that bastard Akanishi for the massage he gave to my face.”_

_Cameron thought that Grenet couldn´t look any uglier than he already did, even if the young gunman had tried to accomplish it, but he kept that for himself._

_“And then there is our baby boy Kamenashi. He hasn´t got a lesson from me yet,” Grenet continued with an awful smirk._

_“Well, you can forget about that, Grenet,” Cameron informed him._

_“What?” the man hissed out. “What did you just say?”_

_“Mr. Karnaka doesn´t wish you to stay around here anymore. If you got arrested again, it would mean troubles for him. You are ordered to leave to Fort Collins. There is a job set up for you already.”_

_“Fort Collins?!” Grenet burst out. “Are you kidding me? That´s in Colorado! It will take ages to get there in this season!”_

_“That´s the point,” Cameron reacted stiffly. “You´re supposed to escape. You´re fugitive now and we cannot afford it to influence the business of our boss here.”_

_Grenet stood up, his face getting redder and angrier with each second._

_“Do you have something to tell me, Grenet? Objections against your superior´s order?” Cameron asked still perfectly calm._

_Grenet gritted his teeth: “I´m sure that Boss would appreciate if I dealt with those two.”_

_“Mr. Karnaka will deal with Akanishi and Kamenashi according to his judgement, you don´t have to be involved anymore.”_

_“I will say it more clearly then... You will go back to Karnaka with my request - I want to be the one to deal with them!”_

_Cameron was thinking quickly. The situation came to the very dangerous point, when Grenet would really get out of control. There was a too big risk for his master and he had to deal with it wisely._

_“All right… You have been very useful, Grenet, and loyal. I understand you want to solve some issues personally…”_

_“You surprise me, Cam! You´re able of some thinking, good. I thought you´re just Karnaka´s dog.”_

_The servant avoided to react on the offense, as Grenet was not worth of any argument._

_“I will return to the farm and present your request to Mr. Karnaka. I´m sure he will assign you some men to help with the task.”_

_“I don´t think that will be necessary,” Grenet opposed. “Danny is with me already, he´s guarding next door. And Brad promised to come too.”_

_“I´ve noticed,” Cameron nodded. “But I think at least one more should accompany you, just for sure.”_

_Grenet shrugged, obviously calming down._

_“Ok, let´s play it safe. Not that they would have a chance against me now...”_

_“I will do it under one condition,” Cameron continued. “You´ll stay here, unnoticed, until my return or your helpers´ arrival, is that clear?”_

_Grenet´s expression told Cameron that he was not very happy about that and didn´t seem to agree._

_“You don´t want to cause any more problems to your boss, do you?” Cameron asked the other man with an obvious threat in his voice._

_And Grenet finally remembered who his employer was._

_“Of course not!” he exclaimed hastily, searching for another cigarette. “All right, I´ll wait here. I´ll enjoy myself a little meanwhile. Just don´t take too long, Cam…”_

*

 

Raynold Karnaka listened to his servant without any remarks till the end.

“You did well, Cameron. But what should I do with this stubborn gunman now?”

“That is up to your decision, sir.”

“What do _you_ think I should do with him? I want to hear your opinion.”

“Well… I think that Grenet´s behaviour is too unpredictable, when it comes to those two. I don´t think we should let him deal with them, at least not now. Moreover, he is too exposed in Livingstone. Walker will not let it go easily, if somebody mentions spotting Grenet there. It would bring us only inconveniences, sir. I recommend proceeding with your previous decision to show him off to Fort Collins.”

“Good, I was wondering if you think the same as me. Assign three men plus Brad to force him to leave Livingstone at the earliest possibility. Accompany them there and hand my decision over to him.”

“And if he resists anyway?”

Karnaka´s glance focused on his servant´s face.

“I´m sure you know what to do in that case, Cameron…” he replied slowly.

“Sure, my lord,” Cam nodded calmly.

“Well, and now when we solved out this issue, what about our two young rebels?” Karnaka asked.

“Kamenashi had already showed up in the city, it seems that he discussed some serious issue with Walker, who set off to the woods again then,” the servant replied.

“So, he found out?”

“Probably, sir. But they keep it quiet for now.”

“Interesting. What about Akanishi?”

“No sign of him. It seems as if he stayed in the mountains or left somewhere else. He was not with Kamenashi, as far as I know. They were spotted in the morning a few days ago together, but not since then.”

“So, nobody made a fuss about the Indians?”

“No, at least not yet, sir.”

“Isn´t it suspicious?”

“A little, sir,” Cameron nodded.

“Hmm... All right, double the guards, before you leave to Livingstone,” Karnaka decided. “But make sure everybody knows that I _don´t_ _want any white_ guys, who might appear, to be killed.”

 


	45. Planning and preparations

**T** he sun was peeping from behind the curtain of soft clouds, making the day bright, but it had no power to melt the thick layer of snow, which was covering the surroundings of an old house as a cold blanket. Despite there wasn´t any heavy snowfall for days, everything around was still purely white. With the exception of a certain place behind the house, where the brown ground was exposed partially, thanks to the warmness of a steady fire and also because of the footprints of many feet in moccasins.

Suddenly, a high sound cut through the chilly morning air, which disturbed Kazuya from observing the main driveway towards the Kamenashi´s property. The young man raised his head and looked up to the bare tree branch above his head, finding a small sparrow there. The tiny bird repaid Kame´s glance with his black eyes and repeated the loud greeting.

It could be considered as a miracle that such a small animal survived under the conditions of so far quite harsh winter season. That little creature was really cute, ruffling its feathers in an attempt to keep warm, but it couldn´t cheer Kame up from his gloominess.

They agreed to meet within a week, so that they would have enough time to arrange everything necessary. But it was already the ninth day since Kame had separated from Jin in the stalls behind Harada´s Saloon, and there was no sign of the older one yet, which made him more and more worried with each passed hour...

_What if something bad happened to him? Jin could have been attacked or injured, or even..._

Kame shuddered from head to toes and forced the pessimistic thoughts to leave his head, though it was difficult. He should have never let Jin go alone…

Thirteen Indians, who were settled behind his house along with their horses, did not seem to be disturbed by Kame´s anxious waiting. All of them kept their faces serious and calm, while they were carving the wood for new arrows and sharpening their daggers and tomahawks.

The sparrow shouted at Kame once again, before he flew off somewhere into the woods. Kame followed the bird with his eyes on its fast flight away, when something else caught his attention. It was a figure on the dark horse, which appeared between the trees.

For the first few moments Kame didn´t dare to believe it, but then he recognized the red scarf around the rider´s neck and also Kuro´s proud manner of movement and a smile full of relief brightened up his face.

“So, he is back finally, huh?” Liwan´s voice startled Kame a little.

“Yeah, finally...” he nodded. “I will go and heat up some water. I bet he travelled during the night and he´s frozen to the bones.”

“All right... And I will welcome him instead of you,” Liwan reacted a little sarcastically. “I am sure he will be so happy about it...”

Kame decided not to comment the Indian´s remark; he was too glad that his friend was in a better mood than during the whole past week. He tore his eyes off of the approaching rider and entered the house, which they had already managed to fill up with all needed supplies.

The fire in the stove was kept all the time, since the moment they had arrived to his former home four days ago. It was really necessary, as the house hadn´t been repaired for years and there were many holes, which let the winter´s cold inside. The temperature in the building was far from being really warm, but the difference in comparison with the outside was significant anyway.

Kame started to prepare the big pot of tea in an almost cheerful mood, which was so different from how he had felt only a few moments ago. Those past days were cold and long and difficult. Kame didn´t perceive it much at first, as he kept his mind busy as much as possible, with so many things to deal with, but despite that he quickly realized he was missing Jin dearly.

Back in the city, he had to inform Captain Walker about what had happened. That was after the soldiers´ leader had returned to Bozeman from an unsuccessful hunt after the fugitive. He and also his remaining subordinates were really upset and down about how they failed in bringing up the justice upon Math Grenet. Walker even went to Karnaka´s farm, searching for the runaway prisoner, and he was accepted for an audience with the mansion´s lord. But of course that without evidences, there was nothing the captain could have done about Karnaka´s statement that he hadn´t spotted even a hair of his former employee.

Walker told about all of that to him, while in return Kame trusted the honest soldier enough to confide him with everything what had happened in the Indian village. He revealed to Walker what they had witnessed and assumed, except their plan for revenge. The captain was shocked about the horrible news and for Kame´s pleasant surprise he was also persuaded about Karnaka having his fingers in that slaughter. Walker obviously didn´t like the old man more than Kame himself. Unfortunately, Raynold Karnaka was too powerful and too well covered, so there was nothing they could do with their convictions.

Walker proposed he would go with his men to search for the evidences against Karnaka´s gunmen, which would allow them to prosecute the rancher for the attack. Kame didn´t oppose the captain in his idea, but he didn´t believe there was anything what would connect the attack with Karnaka directly. The only option was that one of his men would speak, and that was highly unlikely.

Speaking about Karnaka´s gunmen, almost all of them were back in Bozeman, drinking and smoking at Harada´s place, as if nothing unusual had happened. Even Brad was with them and he felt the man´s mocking stare on himself, every time they crossed their ways, as when Kame appeared in the saloon to apologize to its owner for leaving so suddenly again.

But neither Brad nor anybody else made a single step towards Kame, none of them said anything. They were just watching him with smirks on their faces and whispering inaudibly; when they thought he didn´t see them.

It cost him almost all his remaining composure, but Kame ignored them. He kept his focus on the plan which he and Liwan and Jin had agreed on; it helped him to remain calm, persuading himself, that once all of them would get what they deserved. So, Kame also pretended that nothing unusual happened. He talked only with Captain Walker about the massacre of Blackfeet Indians and nobody else. And even though he felt bad about it, he also lied to the captain. Kame told Walker that he and also Jin would help the remaining Indians to move into the reservation in the north and they would stay with them, away from the city, as they were just too sick about everything what happened recently.

The captain was very surprised by that kind of attitude and Kame got a feeling that the man didn´t believe him fully. Of course that Walker had doubted rightfully, it was strange that Kame would just let the horrible action against the tribe go like that. But it was important to have at least some cover; he had to persuade Walker that they would stay far away from Karnaka´s farm. In case he would be open in their real intentions, it would have definitely backfired at them later.

The only other persons, Kame talked with during his stay in the city, were Brice´s. He had hesitated, whether to tell them the truth or not. But he was sure that the news about the tragedy would spread out sooner or later, so he did tell them about it in the end. But as well as in Walker´s case, he insisted he would leave the city for good, unmoved by Lena´s pleading to stay. Then he had to make some shopping for the proper supplies, he also gathered their belongings remaining in the saloon after he and Jin left in a rush, and then he headed to his former home, in the opposite direction than he had told everybody.

Kame didn´t have to wait long for Liwan to appear and his Indian friend didn´t come back alone.  Liwan´s task was to ask the befriended tribe for help. Eleven young and capable Indians of the Babb Tribe, which was also a part of Blackfeet clan, were willing to help their brothers with revenge on the most powerful man within far and wide.

Kame was worried at first that the Babb´s members would bring the problems upon themselves too, but Liwan assured him that the new Blackfeet Reservation far in the north was not in the interest of White Faces and nobody knew that the group of young warriors left. They just needed to be very careful and not to let themselves to be spotted outside the Rocky Mountains.

Despite the goodwill of his red brothers, Liwan´s mood was really bad for a couple of cold days. He was acting tough, but Kame knew his friend well and he recognized that Liwan kept blaming himself for what had happened in the pueblo. For that he was hopeless and he couldn´t help the others against the attack. Kame did as much as he could to support Liwan, while dealing with his own pain, and managed to persuade the young Indian that he was not to be blamed for all those dead. Liwan didn´t want to listen to him first, but Kame was able to come across the wall the mourning Indian built up. And focusing on their revenge planning helped pretty much, too.

They didn´t waste time while they were waiting for Jin´s return. All Indians were preparing the weapons and torches and other things, which they needed to use later. Actually, the time went fast during those preparations, but Kame still felt awfully lonely and anxious, when Jin was not around for whole days. He couldn´t help but think about him all the time, not being able to sleep properly, imagining the worst scenarios of what might have happened to the older one.

But now, when Kame had finally spotted Jin coming, he felt light and relieved so much that he forgot about his own grief over the Blackfeet Tribe´s tragedy for a short moment.

The water for tea had just started to boil, when he heard Liwan´s voice from the outside, muted by the closed door and then Kuro´s neigh and also Jin´s hoarse and audibly tired response.

Kame´s heart jumped, when the creak of the door´s hinges told him somebody opened the main entrance. He poured the hot water over the herbs, filling up the kitchen with the pleasant fragrance. The slow heavy steps came inside the room. With a pounding hear and indescribable expectation Kame turned away from the stove to greet the youngster in the dark coat...

*

 

For Jin, everything went surprisingly well, almost just as planned. He managed to find one old acquaintance in Billings, who was so happy to see him again, that Jin was offered with beer and lunch and also dinner, before he could even speak about his request, which was luckily met with a positive response. Even though Jin was sure that the man was just missing his income from the previous business with him and Yamapi, it was really nice of him to meet up with Jin´s requirements so quickly. The old businessman heard him out, thought over it only shortly and then he confirmed that he could gather everything Jin needed within one day.

The whole trip to the city and back again took much longer than Jin had expected, and he was held up by hard search for a spare horse. But otherwise his journey was without any issues, except the weather was damn cold on the way. Of course there were closer sources of what they needed, but they decided to use the ones in Billings not only because Jin had his contact there, but there was no way they could require everything in Bozeman without raising suspicion and the same went for Livingstone, which was too close to Karnaka´s farm.

Jin´s mission was all right, until the travel back. Suddenly, it felt like the miles were going backwards in front of his horse and he couldn´t wait to reach the borders of Bozeman. Despite being tired, he didn´t even rest the last day and rode during the night. Something was pushing him forward, not allowing him to rest or cheer up. He felt cold, and moody and damn lonely…

It was somewhere in the middle of his trip back, when Jin realized that he was eager for the presence of the young bartender. He missed Kazuya´s voice and his warmth. There were many times he complained about the road or weather and looked around surprised that nobody reacted, realizing only then that nobody even listened to him. It was confusing that his mind reacted on being alone in this way, which he had never minded before.

The picture of Kame was flickering on the edge of Jin´s mind, torturing him with the knowledge that he was far away from the younger one and there was nobody Jin could hug during the nights. He pondered about it a lot, but he still didn´t understand, what had happened to him that it changed him so much. Travelling alone was never an issue to him; it was good to be completely out of civilization and people´s eyes from time to time, not to care about anyone else. Now, he didn´t care for food or sleep, he just wanted to see Kazuya again...

 

Jin almost overheard what Liwan said to welcome him. He didn´t even give a proper attention to the surprisingly big group of strange Indians on the back yard; so much he was focused on the door, behind which he saw to disappear the certain young man, when he popped out off the woods finally.

“I will take care of it, go inside,” Liwan said helpfully and took Kuro´s reins from Jin´s hand, already holding the other horse still. “You have to get some rest, so that we can set off soon.”

Jin nodded gratefully, not noticing the strange shine in the Indian´s eyes; he crossed the veranda and opened the main entrance of the house.

Taking off his new hat purchased in Billings, Jin came inside the kitchen, which was filled with awesome scent and mainly with more than welcomed warmth. The slim figure, which he had desired to see so much, turned towards him with brightly shining eyes.

Only at that moment, sinking into the warm brown orbs, Jin felt calm again, forgetting his tiredness and gloominess right away.

“Welcome back,” Kazuya greeted him softly, mixing something in the huge ceramic mug with a spoon.

“Hey…” Jin repaid the greeting with a deep exhale full of relief. “You cannot imagine how glad I´m to be here finally.”

“Actually, I think I can,” Kame opposed, locking their eye connection for a while, before he approached the table and placed the hot liquid on it. “Here, sit down, it will warm you up.”

“Thanks,” Jin made himself comfortable on one of the chairs. From the aroma reaching his nose, he recognized some unfamiliar tea with honey.

“Are you hungry?” Kazuya asked, while Jin was sipping on the content carefully.

“Yeah, a little...” Jin admitted, while his stomach accused him from quite an understatement. “But you don´t have to bother with me, Kame.”

“It´s the least I can do,” the younger one reacted, as he had already started to slice a bread. “Don´t worry, I brought a lot of supplies here. And our new friends were not lazy either.”

“Fine then, I appreciate it…” Jin let himself to be persuaded quickly, as he was really looking forward to anything he could get inside his mouth. Especially when it was prepared by Kazuya. “I see you cleaned up around here.”

“Unfortunately, it needs much more than that…” Kame stated.

“It´s definitely much nicer than the last time,” Jin insisted on his compliment.

Kame raised his eyebrows, when he put the plate with bread, beans and dried meat in front of Jin: “Well… Thanks, I did what I could. And enjoy your meal.”

“You´re the best, Kame,” Jin reacted with his eyes shining over the feast.

Kame just smiled over how eagerly Jin started to gulp his late breakfast down. Now, when the older one was sitting there at the table, Kame realized almost painfully, that he missed him even more than he had thought...

He took the empty mug from the table and returned to the stove to prepare the second one and also the whole pot of the hot liquid for the others.

“It´s really good, thank you,” Jin behind him murmured with his mouth full.

“You´re welcome,” Kame replied calmly, adding more wood into the stove.

Jin was finished eating in no time, and he took his coat off, finally warmed up enough, when Kame brought the full tea pot onto the table. He poured the alluring liquid into two mugs this time and sat down too. They were silent for a while, listening to the excited Indian´s comments on the supplies, which Jin brought with him.

“Did it go well?” Kazuya asked then. “You were gone for long…”

“I know...” the older one sighed. “I´m sorry, the road was really horrible. But I´ve got everything we need.”

“That´s great…”

“How did it go here?” Jin asked curiously. “Any news? I mean except our new friends outside?”

“No, nothing new,” the younger one shook his head. “Grenet scrammed, there´s absolutely no sign of him. His capers are quiet, Karnaka as well. I´ve told Walker about what happened. He´s trying to find some evidences against him.”

“That´s useless effort,” Jin huffed out pessimistically.

“It´s great that he´s trying at least...” Kazuya said with a shrug. “Otherwise, it went well. Babb Tribe will help us, we can make our plan work just fine, I guess.”

“When are we going to do it?” the older one asked quietly, keeping both hands on the hot mug.

“The Babb Indians left their reservation in the north. The longer they stay here, the bigger is the probability they will be found and our plans exposed. We should move on tonight,” the younger one assumed a little hesitantly.

“All right,” Jin nodded seriously. “I definitely agree. There was enough of waiting already…”

“But only if you feel well enough for that,” Kame observed him worriedly. “You don´t seem that you slept much recently.”

“I didn´t,” Jin admitted. “But I´ll take a little nap and it will be just fine. I don´t want to wait for anything anymore…” the other´s expression turned very dark at that moment. “Each minute that man keeps breathing is the offense for our families, for my friend and for the whole Blackfeet Tribe.”

Kame repaid Jin´s glance firmly, before he nodded: “I´ll talk with the others then; they´re pretty much ready. We will go tonight,” he decided.

“Wait a minute,” Jin grabbed Kame for his wrist, when the younger wanted to get up. “Is it really a wise idea? I mean… What about Liwan? Is he all right? I can imagine it had to be difficult for him to wait up...”

“He is… better now,” Kame reacted slowly; feeling shivers under that touch. “But he will not rest until Karnaka pays for his sins.”

“I understand that, I feel the same way...” Jin said quietly, but still with worries in his features. “And what about you, Kazuya?”

Kame wanted to avoid the sharp look, but Jin didn´t let him, squeezing his hand tighter. The older guy could see that Kame was trying to be brave and calm on the surface, but under it, deep in those brown eyes, there was pain and that guilt again, which didn´t belong there.

“I cannot imagine what it is like,” Jin continued slowly. “To lose almost all of them like this…”

The pain appeared in the features of the younger´s face, making Jin´s stomach shrink. Kame kept being silent, not replying, but he didn´t try to slip from Jin´s grip either.

“But... At least, isn´t there anything... Is there any way that I can help you?” the older one asked carefully.

The dark eyes were sinking into Kazuya´s, making him realize that Jin was anxious, and really eager to relieve him from his pain somehow. He felt something swirling inside him, almost making him cry, but he managed to suppress it, gulping down the heavy stuff in his throat.

Then he placed his free hand on Jin´s.

“You´re already helping me, Jin…” Kazuya replied, squeezing his arm for a while, before he stood up, slipping from Jin´s hold. “Go to the bedroom and have some rest. I´ll wake you up soon enough.”

“All right...” Jin nodded and watched the younger one leaving the kitchen, catching himself at the wish for Kame to go to the mentioned room with him. He wanted to lock him in his arms and breathe in the scent of the younger´s hair so much…

There was only one thing, which could beat his desire after the younger one at the moment – the knowledge that the day had finally come, when he would fulfil his vow given over Pi´s grave. Karnaka would pay for everything he had done. And mainly, he would be stopped finally, stopped from bringing up more evil.

Jin was chasing that vow, that dream for very long already and now it would finally come true. He didn´t know if it would bring peace for him. But if their revenge brought it to Yamapi, his and Kame´s parents and to Liwan and the rest of the tribe, it would be good enough.

There was one more thing, which bothered him. Somehow, Jin was not sure about how it would affect Kazuya. The younger one was through so much already. There was definitely some border for him of what he could bear and what he couldn´t. And Jin felt awful being hopeless in helping Kazuya to deal with everything, despite what the younger one said a moment ago.

Pondering about those depressing conclusions, Jin headed to the bedroom, which was clean as much as it was possible under the conditions. He kicked off his shoes and nestled on the bed, covering his body with the thick blanket, falling more unconscious than asleep.

*

 

It felt like the gentle hand shook with him only minutes after the blackness came. But it had to be hours, as the light in the room turned into mysterious grey. Jin opened his eyes to focus them on the young man sitting on the edge of the bed, with the hand on his shoulder.

“Jin, are you awake?” the voice was quiet, but easily recognizable for Jin.

“Yeah...” he murmured not very enthusiastically.

“We should set off within an hour,” Kazuya informed him slowly.

“Thanks...”

“Will you manage?” the other one asked worriedly, noticing the tiredness in Jin´s response.

The doubt in his voice forced Jin to gather all the senses fully. Kazuya´s face was half-hiding in the shadows; the only real light in the bedroom was coming from the kitchen.

“Of course,” he assured the younger one.

“Fine...” Kame reacted, but didn´t move away and let his hand rest on Jin´s chest.

“Kame, what is it?” Jin asked softly.

“Nothing, just...” Kame sighed. “I missed you a lot.”

Jin stared at the blurry features of the other´s face for a while, before he raised his hand and grabbed Kame´s shirt, making him lean down a little, so that he could see his face more clearly.

“I missed you too, Kazu,” he stated seriously.

Kazuya smiled a little, before he moved closer on own accord and found Jin´s lips with his. The kiss was tender, warm and short, before Kame pulled away.

“I thought you would laugh at me,” he said then.

Jin frowned confused: “Why the hell would you think that?”

“Well, because it´s...” Kazuya hesitated, fondling Jin´s chest with his fingers slowly. “Hmm, I don´t know... Because it´s cheesy?”

Instead of response, Jin raised himself up a little and captured Kame´s lips in much more passionate kiss. He couldn´t get enough of that warm feeling, which flooded his whole being, when Kame was so close to him. The younger repaid Jin´s action, and as they brushed against each other´s mouth, being caressing and eager at the same time, it exposed more of what they felt than any words.

Still holding on the cloth of Kazuya´s shirt, Jin dragged him down on himself and then ran with his hand up into the younger´s hair. Their kiss had a kind of desperate feeling, which brought chills on Kame´s back, and the more he didn´t want to end it. But there were too many things, which were impatiently waiting for their attention.

Their lips separated only very unwillingly. Kazuya´s eyes opened so close to Jin´s, that the older one could see their light even in the dark room.

“Then I´m cheesy too,” Jin stated firmly.


	46. Fire

**N** ot a single creature of the night disturbed the chilly darkness covering the abandoned fields spread over hectares of originally wild land. They were sad in their loneliness, waiting for the proper blanket of snow, which didn´t reach the valley under the mountains yet, letting them half-exposed to the cruel frost.

Not even a dust of wind dared to interrupt the heavy silence. It was the time of the deepest night, when the sleep of all honest people was the strongest; the time for them to gather a new strength for another hard day. The time, when only the bravest ones dared to walk under the night sky, proudly resisting the freezing power of winter, which was just taking a breath before throwing its full power on the inhabitants of Montana.

Two men on the top of the wooden palisade, which protected the white farm, were almost jumping on their spots, trying to warm themselves up hopelessly, while guarding the front gate. Their rifles were leant over the wall, ready for use at once.

“It´s quiet around here, right?” one of them yawned widely.

“I´m more concerned about this damn cold,” the older man snorted, huddling inside his winter coat.

His companion approached closer with a conspiratorial expression.

“So... You also think that our dear boss is kind of paranoid already?” the young guard whispered, even though there was nobody else around.

“Maybe even crazy,” the other man replied in a very upset mood, as he had planned to spend his night off in Madame Sukina´s brothel and instead of that he was freezing up there. “Our _dear_ boss arranged the whole Indian tribe to be wiped out; he´s the most fearsome man far and wide; there´s a four-meter-high wall around this property and he _still_ fears somebody might be that stupid to come and try to do something. Sweet Jesus…”

“Exactly,” the younger one nodded, breathing out on his numb fingers. “Who would be so dumb to attack his fortress in this damn winter?”

“No idea, maybe he´s expecting aliens or something,” the older man continued his upset humming on the address of the mansion´s lord.

“Heh, you believe in that kind of bullshit?” the younger´s eyes went wide.

“Don´t be an idiot, it was just a joke!”

“Ok, sorry, sorry... Hey, don´t you wanna get some nap now and we could change within two hours then? Nothing´s gonna happen here anyway...”

“Fully agreed,” the other guard nodded, quite enthusiastic about the idea. “I´ll go then and...”

The man´s speech was interrupted by a loud bang, which cut through the air sharply. Both guards turned on the spot, hearing the sound resonating from the other side of the guarded property. They saw nothing at first, but almost right away, there was another bang, accompanied with cheerful tiny lights high up in the air above the farm.

“What the fuck...” the older man gritted through his teeth.

“I wasn´t informed about any fireworks,” the younger one noted. “What about you?”

“Neither I,” the other one snorted.

The flood of bright lights on the background of the pitch black sky doubled in their numbers.

“Should we go to check it out?” the youngster asked not very happily.

“You go,” his companion decided. “I´ll stay here for sure.”

“Eeh?! There´re other guards, right? Why should I...?”

“Don´t be such a brat and go,” the older man snapped.

“Fine, fine,” the other one gave up his complaints. “Just don´t sleep over here meanwhile, nah?”

The older man watched his younger colleague climbing down the ladder from their small watch-tower, thinking that he might have been wrong. Maybe there was somebody crazy to attack Karnaka´s farm, in case that the attacker had a damn good reason for it... And using fireworks? That sounded crazy enough.

*

 

The fireworks seemed to work out even better than they had hoped.

From the safe place in the crown of the tree at the edge of one field, Jin observed the scene behind the palisade, where many torches and also the dark figures from the slaves´ houses in the back yard of the farm started to gather towards their light show. Exactly as they wanted, the fuss lured most of the people outside.

The young gunslinger waited till he was sure that two Indians from Babb Tribe lit up all detonating cords. Then he jumped down the tree and in a quiet rush he sneaked away from the hill, where they set their fireworks up.

Jin met up with Liwan, who was already waiting for him next to the huge empty water barrel. Most of their Indian comrades remained hidden and completely silent. Not knowing their position, Jin wouldn´t have even thought that somebody was hiding close to the back gate.

Kazuya and other four Indians, Hawk Eye included, were on the other side of the palisade, as they were supposed to sneak inside at the front gate. And the success of Kame´s group depended on the proper distraction from their side, which was about to happen.

Covered by the deep darkness, Jin and Liwan dashed off towards the back gate, behind which they could already hear the nervous voices, carrying quite dangerous packages in their hands...

*

 

The fireworks were particularly beautiful, when Kame, Hawk Eye and other two Babb Indians approached the front gate. Only one guarding man remained on the wall above them. When his figure appeared in the watch-tower in the convenient position, the young Indian of Blackfeet Tribe proved he deserved his name. Just one accurate aim was enough for him to hit the throat of the man with his arrow.

The unheard death of the guard secured the Babb Indians an undisturbed climbing over the wall, while they used the same inconspicuous way as Kame many weeks ago, when he came to the farm for Jin. Then they opened the front gate quietly and Kame with Hawk Eye pulled the cart full of canisters inside. Not to raise any attention, they closed the gate again and their small group rushed towards the house.

The sparkling lights in the air made quite a fuss behind the farm; the excited voices were carried in the cold air and the guards were running across the frozen up garden, confused about the night disruption.

Kazuya´s heart was steady, as they proceeded forward, using the shadows of the trees for cover, despite his mind started to be gradually consumed with adrenaline. Very soon they came across the men guarding the corners of the white house, but for their luck they were also distracted by the fireworks and the handy Indians of Babb Tribe stole their consciousness without any unnecessary noise. It was very important for them to remain unnoticed and they had to act fast; the whole farm would be up on their feet soon for sure.

Using the fancy railing for support and relying on the strength of their arms, Kame and Hawk Eye climbed up on the roof over the veranda. Then they let other ropes run down from it, waited for the signal and pulled it up again. With the end of ropes tied around them by Babb Indians, the canisters of kerosene oil appeared in their hands.

Without any delay, Kame and the young Indian started to spill the liquid over the roof. There was a lot of space to cover and they needed to focus on it fully. Kame couldn´t let himself to be distracted by the tremendous explosion of sound and light at the back gate, which shook with the house itself. He had to trust Jin and Liwan they were careful enough with their dangerous mission...

*

 

The adrenaline was rushing through Jin´s veins, when he and Liwan overstepped the remains of the destroyed gate unnoticed, using the chaos after the explosion. The Babb Indians launched their loud attack at the moment they reached the wall of the barn, for which Jin didn´t have any nice memories. The screaming of attacking red men brought chills on his back, as he ran around the building and then towards the house, side by side with Liwan.

When they reached the white wall, the guards had already responded on the Indian attack with furious shooting. But Jin and Liwan reached on the mansion, and nobody chased after them yet, just as they had planned.

Everything was negotiated and properly set up in advance, and so far it was working.

The fireworks created an awesome confusion at the distant side of the gardens. Then, just before Karnaka´s men were able to agree if they should open the gate or not, it blew up right into their faces. The precious dynamite from Billings worked perfectly and it amazed Jin with its power. It made an impression on the Indians too, not mentioning the poor slaves, who were screaming in fear even now, but there was no time to admire the miracles of civilization.

Babb group pretended to attack the farm at the back gate to gather all attention on them, while Jin and Liwan were free to sneak through the destroyed gate before the guards could have got themselves together. And Kazuya´s group was supposed to do their job on the roofs, hopefully not disturbed by the busy guards.

That plan of theirs was more crazy than brave, and anything could have gone wrong with it. But there was no space for such worries in Jin´s mind focused at one and one goal only - to find Raynold Karnaka and make him pay finally.

When the small back door opened with a shriek, both he and Liwan remained motionless, stick to the wall. Two figures in white nightwear came out with lanterns in hands, discussing the unexpected fuss and they remained standing in the door. Jin recognized the black faces of Karnaka´s slaves, who were probably allowed to sleep in the mansion.

He turned to Liwan, whose face was fiercely determined in the yellow light. The Indian indicated cutting the throat with his finger, and Jin frowned in disagreement. He couldn´t bring himself to kill the innocent ones, even if it meant risking their exposure. He shook his head vigorously and turned his revolver, catching it for the muzzle, so that Liwan could see it. To Jin´s relief, after a moment, the Indian nodded to agree with his proposal.

Both Negros were knocked down unconscious within a mere few seconds and they were dragged behind the small shed for the wood supplies.

*

 

Kame smelled the odour of kerosene all around, and he hastily brushed his hands over the trousers to get rid of their stickiness. After their hasty work, all available roofs were spilled with flammable liquid. The Babb Indians had to get rid of three Karnaka´s men, as they proceeded around the farm´s wall with their cart and even a few gunshots were fired, but so far nobody else noticed them. All attention was focused at the back gate, at the Indian´s attack, as they hoped.

Kame reached the veranda´s roof, where they had originally started, out of breath. The climbing over the windows and roofs was difficult, as well as dragging up the heavy canisters. Hawk Eye appeared on their meeting spot a minute later, breathing even more heavily than Kame.

They nodded at each other and smoothly jumped down, ending up in front of the main entrance. Babb Indians were guarding the nearest corner of the house.

By that time, the fast gunshots and yells indicated a furious battle behind the farm, but Kame didn´t pay attention to it – to get inside was what mattered to him at the moment.

So, while Hawk Eye remained guarding on the veranda, not to let anyone get to Kame´s back, he approached the half-open door, which was probably left like that by some rushing guard.

Forcing his breath to steady again, Kame took his revolver in one hand, while he pushed the door open with the other. The corridor was dark.

As far as Kame remembered, Karnaka´s workroom was located on the ground floor, but the bedroom was certainly upstairs. The fuss in the back of his property had to wake Karnaka up and it was difficult to say, where he was now. But the first floor was Jin´s and Liwan´s task, so Kame avoided one of the two staircases up and proceeded further in the hall.

*

 

The first floor was so abandoned that it got on Jin´s nerves. The slaves and most of the guards were brought out outside, but there had to be some others; Karnaka definitely had more people at hand than that... So, why was everything so damn empty?

The Indian was just checking the situation from one window, when Jin, filled up with bad feelings, grabbed Liwan´s shoulder and nodded with his head to tell him they should go downstairs.

Both young men rushed back down, using the stairs for servants. Reaching the ground floor, Jin noticed some strange flash in the shadows and cowered down just in time to avoid a proper shot into his head.

“There they are!”

“No killing, you moron!”

Jin heard those two voices only faintly, as he took cover behind a robust stand with some vase, only a moment before the second gunshot pierced the floor and made an ugly hole in it. He repaid a glance of Liwan, as the Indian was retreating back upstairs.

“Stupid rule, I´ll not let myself be killed!” some argument was heard from the side of his opponents, but Jin couldn´t care less, what bothered them. Crouching behind the stand he checked both bins, and then counted down the shots, which Karnaka´s men wasted trying to reach his hideout. After the sixth shot he peeked out behind the heavily damaged stand and shot back. The yell of pain told him he didn´t miss. But right after that he noticed the figures of more guards, rushing there from some room on the left side.

_Damn it..._

*

 

Kazuya was careful and ready for anything. But he didn´t know that Karnaka was ready too.

The house was so quiet, that it was suspicious. Kame was passing the wall with expensive pictures, all his senses on alert and he was approaching the faint light under the door of the workroom. That light could have meant Karnaka was really inside.

Holding his breath and focusing on his goal, Kame didn´t notice the motionless dark figure hiding behind the high sculpture...

They wouldn´t have caught him so easily, not being for a scared scream of a young black girl from the other end of the corridor, who was just getting a beating from an old man, from a reason Kame was never supposed to find out.

It distracted Kame enough to allow the waiting guard to jump on him, before he could even take a second breath...

*

 

Jin was outnumbered. Just when he started considering the retreat to another part of the building, the surprised alarming calls told him something had happened on the other side of their furious shootout. He peeked out carefully and saw that in some miraculous way, Liwan and Hawk Eye appeared behind Karnaka´s men. His Indian comrade had just knocked the second gunman down with his tomahawk, before fleeing towards the other side of the house, accompanied by the younger Indian. Almost all remaining guards set off after them, shooting furiously.

It was a question of two precise shots to get rid of the last two and Jin could proceed to Karnaka´s workroom, forcing himself not to be too bothered with the dead bodies on the floor.

After they searched through the whole house, Jin was pretty sure that if the mansion´s lord was not there, in his favourite room, than he was not on the property at all...

Counting the gunmen on the walls and in the gardens, who were fighting against the Babb Indians and also those inside the house, who chased after Liwan and Hawk Eye, there could not be many of others, who would be guarding Karnaka, Jin thought. Unless that nasty old man recruited half of Bozeman City. And except one clash, the empty halls were confirming his assumption so far. Despite that he continued forward extremely carefully, until he reached the familiar door with two wings.

Jin just hoped it was the correct door, as he remembered there were two of them leading into Karnaka´s workroom. The strange thing was that if the man was inside, Jin expected the entrance to be either locked or guarded. But there were no guards in sight and the doorknob didn´t show any resistance, when he pushed it down.

It was suspicious and Jin´s instincts felt some unidentified danger, but nothing could have stopped him at that moment. He had to take an action, while Liwan with his young friend kept the guards inside the house busy and before the Babb´s Indians would act according to the plan, leaving their small group without any support.

He took a deep breath, made sure both revolvers were steady in his grip and kicked the door wide open, revealing the brightly lit room. As he made two fast steps over the threshold, checking both sides of the space first, he noticed there was a grey-haired man standing close to the window and observing the finishing fireworks outside. Jin knew it was Raynold Karnaka, even before the old man turned to face the young gunslinger.

A burning desire for revenge roared for the immediate action, but something immobilized Jin´s fingers on the triggers. Something what froze the blood in his veins.

Except smiling Karnaka, there were three men inside the workroom. Two of them were guarding the second door, with their guns aiming at Jin and the third one was Brad. The smirking gunman was holding his revolver in the position, which made Jin literally freeze in the middle of the room, just two steps from Karnaka´s desk. Jin´s feet got stuck to the soft carpet and his heart skipped a beat, seeing the muzzle of the lethal weapon almost buried in Kazuya´s right temple.

The light brown eyes met with Jin´s. While the older one was flooded by horror from the possibility that gun would have fired, Kame was not terrified; his look was just upset and regretful, as he kept his hands up in the air.

“Greetings in this noisy night, young man,” an awfully calm and satisfied voice interrupted the scene, in which Jin kept aiming at the old man, two guards had the intruder in the sights of their revolvers, and Brad had the younger one of the two avengers in self-confident check.

Very unwillingly, Jin disrupted the eye connection with motionless Kame to look at Raynold Karnaka. The man, who destroyed his family and best friend, who ordered the death of Kame´s mother and the whole Blackfeet Tribe and the one, who let Math Grenet torture him, was standing unarmed right in front of him.

Just faintly, Jin noted that the disgusting servant Cameron was not nearby. Karnaka was dressed in the silk gown, as the fuss at the back gate dragged him out his bed. But no matter the time they had carefully chosen for the attack, the man was obviously prepared for them anyway...

_Shit... This is pretty much screwed..._

To Jin´s surprise, Karnaka didn´t seem upset or angry. The old man was observing him with a curious expression, with the hands folded behind his back, not burdened with the revolvers aiming at his head at all.

“I was looking forward to meet with you again, Akanishi,” Karnaka continued. “As well as with Kamenashi. I was expecting you two, boys.”

 _Maybe, you did,_ Jin told only to himself, trying hard to think calmly. _But, there´re some obvious ´buts´..._

Raynold Karnaka didn´t expect them to get past his guards so fast. It would have looked otherwise and they would have been probably dragged in front of the mansion´s lord either tied up or dead. Further, there were only three gunmen in the workroom, which was quite few in case Karnaka had expected them to come and try to assassinate him. And two of the guards were without shoes, the clothes hanging on them as if they only threw it on themselves in a rush.

Karnaka himself was clearly sleeping, when they got their plan into the motion. And the absence of his most loyal servant, who would have protected the lord with own body, told Jin that something else was going on too, what didn´t let Cameron to be there.

Jin kept silent, thinking quickly about the situation, and pushing away that part of himself, which was eager to shoot Karnaka´s head off right away. He couldn´t let that part to take control, because if he did, Kame would have paid the highest prize possible for it.

“You were good, I have to say,” Karnaka assumed with cold shine in his eyes, which he narrowed between many wrinkles. “But you should realize by now, you are no match for me, boy. Lower your guns.”

Jin repaid that ice-cold glance and didn´t move a muscle.

This was the last chance to pull his promise off till the end. How can he give up after everything what happened, and after everything they did to get so far?

By the corner of his eye Jin still saw Kazuya´s face. And somehow he knew the other one didn´t want to give up either, no matter how desperate their situation seemed to be.

“Well, if you don´t do it voluntarily, you can bet it will be done the other way,” Karnaka stated, still awfully sure of his victory. “I am curious to find out, just how much you treasure your friendship with our dear Kamenashi here.”

The click of the gun´s fuse sliced through Jin´s mind and he couldn´t help but glance at Kame again. Brad was ready to shoot and he was observing Jin with eager expectation. But Jin was more focused on Kazuya´s eyes. And those eyes were silently telling him not to give up. Jin saw it there, but he was also painfully aware of own inability to do it. He couldn´t have sacrificed Kame´s life for revenge.

“So, what will it be?” Karnaka asked, sitting down in his favourite chair, as if he was just in the middle of discussion with some business partner.

Jin´s hands shivered and then he slowly let them go down, still repaying Kame´s glance. He noticed surprise and then something so warm in the younger´s eyes, that it made him feel lucky despite the situation.

“Good boy,” Karnaka said with a satisfied smile. “I knew you wouldn´t sacrifice your friend. You are too soft for revenge, Akanishi.”

It might have seemed that way, but neither Jin nor Kame were willing to let their only chance slip away from their fingers. There was an unsaid mutual agreement between the two young men, which Karnaka didn´t and even couldn´t see.

Jin didn´t know what it was, or by what it was caused. But it was the most strange and at the same time completely natural feeling. Neither he, nor Kazuya said a single word aloud, but despite that it was as if they knew what was on other´s mind.

Kazuya´s eyes glanced somewhere behind Jin´s back. His tense expression changed almost insignificantly, but Jin had noticed it anyway. Especially, when Kame focused his darkened look back on him. There was somebody in the corridor, from which Jin came, and it was not another enemy. Kame was trying to notify him about somebody else, and that could be only help...

With hardly suppressed excitement Jin focused on Karnaka, who was stabbing him with a hungry glance, like a predator observing his prey.

“You caused me quite a lot of troubles, boys,” Karnaka stated, as he lit up the thick cigar. “But I bet it didn´t pay off to you, right?”

Neither Kame nor Jin said anything.

“How did you like a new alteration of your precious Indian village?”

If Karnaka was expecting an outburst, he was wrong. The old man´s words were not important for them; they had to be fully focused on what was about to happen.

“But I think I will have to remedy the negligence of my subordinates. I was informed that some red skins are helping you...”

At the next moment Kame winked at Jin and almost right away he collapsed. Brad got so surprised by the sudden heaviness of his body, that he let Kame slip from his grip and stepped away.

“What the…!” he snapped perfectly dumbfounded.

Fainting out was something to be expected from a woman. A young and strong man falling down to the floor with a heavy thud caught the man totally unprepared and made his jaw drop in surprise. But Jin quickly realized that was the only good way how to get rid of the danger, which was too close to Kame´s head and the younger one only pretended his unconsciousness. And this certainty allowed him to raise his hands again.

One of the three gunmen was numb for the moment, and Karnaka himself unarmed. So, the two guards at the door were his priority.

The first bullet from Jin´s revolver found its goal in Karnaka´s subordinate´s head before he even managed to focus his eyes from the collapsed Kamenashi at the determined gunslinger. Jin intended to aim at the other guarding man as well, but one short glance assured him it was not necessary anymore. The man was standing there with a blank expression. The reason of it was a big ugly wound on his head caused by a tomahawk, which was now buried in the wall behind him.

Jin knew he should have paid attention to Karnaka next, but he couldn´t help to glance in Kazuya´s direction again first. The younger one was already back on his feet, without Jin noticing when that happened. The ugly weapon, which threatened to end his life only seconds ago, rested in his hand and the gun´s original owner was half-lying half-sitting with the wound in his stomach creating the bloody pool on the floor.

Jin didn´t let yourself enjoy the relief from seeing Kame all right and hastily turned towards the table on the other side of the room, where he expected Raynold Karnaka, probably aiming at them with his own guns.

It would have been like that, too late for both youngsters, not to be for an owner of the tomahawk, which ended the life of one of the guards.

With a dangerous expression, Liwan had torn his dagger out from the painfully hissing old man. The Indian managed to hit Karnaka´s arm perfectly, just when he tried to take the revolver out from the drawer in the table, exactly as Jin had suspected. Right after that, the dagger was pressed against the old man´s throat instead.

It was a spectacular view, to see the war-painted Indian with his long black hair, keeping in a tight corner the grey-haired master of the white farm in his housecoat. Karnaka was bleeding from the deep wound in the arm, but he didn´t utter a sigh of pain. He just kept piercing the Indian with a scornful look.

Jin couldn´t admire that picture longer, as the heavy thuds from the corridor requested his attention. Kame had already jumped to the door and he pushed them to close again in the last second. The angry yells and heavy rumble of fists on the wood let them know that the gunshots attracted more Karnaka´s gunmen from somewhere in the house.

Kame couldn´t resist the pressure from the other side for long, but there was already Jin placing the chair right under the doorknob to prevent them from getting open, still holding a gun in the second hand.

“Open up or we´ll shoot this door to pieces!” one angry voice was heard.

“Are you crazy?!” the other one scolded him in a more quiet voice, but it was still audible for Kame and Jin, who were pressing themselves against the surface, both with heavily beating hearts. “Boss is in there, idiot!”

The young avengers looked at each other. If they wanted to deal with Karnaka, they had to do it fast or get rid of those behind the door first.

“Are you the one, who ordered my tribe to be killed?” an ice-cold question resonating with suppressed anger made both of them turn their heads.

Liwan was still standing behind Karnaka in the chair, the blade of his dagger cutting the man´s throat slightly. And to their surprise, the rancher was smiling even in that situation.

“Oh, yes, that would be me,” the man confirmed. “The less red savages around, the better for me. It was just a repayment for the rip-offs you made at my lands.”

Liwan seemed to freeze for a while, his expression a picture of disgust and hate. Jin and Kame remained silent, watching him tensely.

The heavy thuds on the door continued and became stronger and more furious. The guards were still trying to get inside the room.

Then Liwan´s expression changed. He stepped aside, giving Karnaka one long spiteful look and then he spat on the carpet next to his chair. The Indian couldn´t have made his opinion about the old man any clearer. Then he glanced at the shaking door and both youngsters holding them, said something in the Indian language and disappeared in the second door, from which he had miraculously appeared before.

“That was pretty lame,” Raynold Karnaka stated.

The old man seemed to be unmoved by the deaths of his men, including Brad, who was staring into the space blankly, or by the Indian´s behaviour. Jin thought that the total opposite was the truth, as came for Liwan.

Their Indian friend didn´t let himself fall on the same level with a man, whom he didn´t even consider worth of killing. Liwan let the two of them deal with it and he just went to make sure they would make it. The surprised yells and the cease of the thuds on the door told them he succeeded for the moment.

“Shouldn´t we help him?” Jin suggested hoarsely.

Kame was listening to the sounds behind the door just as closely as he did. He was also worried for Liwan, but he shook his head: “He can handle…”

Jin didn´t hear the rest of the sentence, as his instinct yelled at him, that he let Karnaka out of his sight too soon. He turned his attention back to the man, just in time for his hand to react, and he fired.

This time, Raynold Karnaka couldn´t suppress a painful scream, when the precise bullet pierced his shoulder and forced him to release his grip on the spare gun, which he drew from the Devil knew where...

*

Raynold was sure he would manage to use the mistake the two of them did. He would love to show to both those brats, just how the lack of respect towards him got rewarded. But that youngster was damn fast.

He stared at just another bleeding wound in his right arm, thinking that it would be really great to have such a shooter with incredible instincts among his men. The old Akanishi was good too, but his son surpassed all expectations. It was such a shame the young man didn´t seem to change his opinion anytime soon…

Both intruders of his mansion left their place at the door and slowly crossed the workroom towards him. Karnaka´s most precious revolver was lying down on the carpet, next to the unfinished cigar, as his fingers let go of it in a shock from new pain. It hurt as hell and Raynold started to feel dizzy from the loss of blood, but he remained standing behind his table.

It was very interesting to watch the expressions on the young men´s faces. That desire to end his life was there, but at the same time also a hint of hesitation. So far if they killed, it was in self-defence. But what they were planning to do now, that was a murder...

Karnaka ignored the twitching and pain in his arm and focused on his two assassins fully.

“You really want to kill me, don´t you?” Raynold raised a mocking question. Two pairs of eyes pierced him with almost equal volume of hate. Karnaka smiled. “That´s not a surprise to me, but I wonder, boys... _Can_ you do that? Are you able of a cold-blooded murder?”

A deafening silence responded him and he let his smile widen: “It´s not that easy as you thought, is it?”

Akanishi was the first one to move, as he made a long step towards the table and with a swift move he aimed right between Karnaka´s eyes.

“I´ll gladly give you an answer on your fucking question, old man,” he spitted out hatefully.

Karnaka didn´t even blink and kept looking right into those burning eyes, when the younger one approached the table too. Kamenashi placed a hand on Akanishi´s arm.

“Jin... No.”

A short and very clear word made the older one tear his eyes away from Karnaka and stare at Kamenashi in pure confusion.

“No,” the youngster repeated and slowly pushed the other´s hand down, so that the possible track of lethal danger headed to  the expensive carpet, which Karnaka personally chose years ago.

Raynold couldn´t suppress an amused smirk. Exactly as he hoped, this was a spectacular performance of his creations.

“But... Kame!” Akanishi was obviously angered. “This is what we came for! He must pay for...!”

“I know,” a cold voice from the younger´s lips stopped the irritated reaction. “I know, Jin.”

The other one stared at him even more confused.

“Then... what...?”

The younger one looked around first and then he crossed the room towards one of his dead men. When he headed back, there was a long rope in the boy´s hands.

“I just don´t think that this man deserves a mercy of quick death,” Kamenashi stated with that freezing voice, which Karnaka didn´t expect from him at all.

Akanishi was repaying the other´s look for a moment, before glancing at the rope.

And Raynold had suddenly realized a few facts. There was too much of warmness in his workroom and there were also some suspicious sounds above his head. And that smell... That smell as if something was... Then it hit him.

Red skins set his beautiful farm on the fire!

 _Those little bastards... Nobody will play with me like that..._ at that moment Karnaka thought, it was enough of games. He checked if the two avengers were still discussing with each other, and he raised his hand for the last hidden gun, just under the desk.

That movement was faster than a blink of an eye. Without any aiming Akanishi fired again. A blinding pain flooded Raynold from his shoulder through the whole body and made him kneel.

“Not a fucking move, you sneaky bastard,” Akanishi gritted through his teeth. “It would be a shame if you missed your final...”

That voice brought Raynold on alert and he raised his eyes to look at those two again. And he didn´t even think about smirking anymore...

*

Jin didn´t understand at first. He couldn´t believe that Kame would have chickened out after everything they had already done. But then, seeing the rope in younger´s hands and realizing the strengthening sounds of the flames, he suddenly _knew_ without Kazuya saying anything else.

One part of Jin was shocked to see that kind of expression on Kazuya´s beautiful face, but he didn´t want to think about it at the moment. There was no time to be emotional over what brought that scary face up from the pure heart of the younger one.

Jin understood, what was on Kazuya´s mind and he fully agreed with his idea.

Luckily, he managed to spot Karnaka´s suspicious move, as he expected nothing else than tricks from him and without thinking he acted on a pure instinct and fired again. But full aware of that he didn´t want to kill him. Not yet...

Karnaka stared at them from the floor, pretty much upset now. Well, it was about time he would have lost that fucking smile of his.

Jin approached the man from one side, while Kame proceeded forward from the other.

“If you like that damn chair so much, we can let you have it... forever,” Jin stated as Kame handed him over one end of the rope right in front of Karnaka´s face.

Raynold Karnaka was gazing from one to another, not a sign of previous self-confidence in his face. When he started to fight them, it was too late. In silent cooperation, both avengers lifted him up, forced him to sit down and tied the old man to his chair for both arms and legs...

*

Raynold was not very happy to admit that the situation got out of his control.

His subordinates were either dead or busy dealing with the Indians´ attack. Not that he wouldn´t put up a fight, when those foolish boys were tying him up in unspoken cooperation, but there were two of them, they were young and angry. Together, Akanishi and Kamenashi didn´t have any difficulties with him, not to mention he was weakened by the still bleeding injuries.

The rope around his wrists and ankles was too tight; Raynold felt his hands and feet going numb from the lack of blood. Both youngsters were watching him wordlessly. The silence in the room was interrupted only by the sounds of hungry flames, which were getting stronger each minute.

They really dared to ignite his own house!

“And you think this is not a murder?” Karnaka barked off, shaking with his ties.

Not a muscle moved on Kamenashi´s face. It was almost incredible, that such an expression could be found in those girlish features. There was such coldness, that it made Karnaka shudder.

“No…” Akanishi reacted harshly. “This is something _fitted for you_ , _Mister_.”

And finally, only then, fear appeared in the eyes of Raynold Karnaka. He was not afraid of anything until that moment. But now, there was something very real in front of him to be worried about, and it was his death.

“Cowards!” the terrified rancher blurted, when both of them turned their backs on him, heading to the door. “You don´t even have guts to shoot me dead!”

They stood still for a while, before only Kamenashi turned to face him once again.

“We might be judged for this one day, but you´re definitely _not_ the right person to do it, Mr. Karnaka,” he stated in an incredibly cold tone.

“You´re making a mistake, boys…” Raynold spitted out.

The man flinched, when Akanishi turned on his heels suddenly and dashed back across the room.

 _Oh, yes, be angry, boy, come on_ , Karnaka thought, when the young man basically pounced on him. _You need to make something really stupid, right?_

“Jin!” Kamenashi´s worried exclaim didn´t stop the young gunslinger from overturning the chair with Karnaka in it and letting it fell on the floor roughly.

“You failed, Karnaka. You´re the one, who made mistakes,” Akanishi´s face was just above Raynold´s, as he leant down to him, with his eyes full of contempt. “And now, you´re going to pay for all of them. Say our regards in Hell.”

Then Akanishi got up again, not considering Karnaka worth of even one more look and returned to the younger one. Flooded by awe, he had never felt before, Raynold had to admit that his creations didn´t act as he had expected, not at all.

He was left in a very uncomfortable position on the floor, from which he could just see the legs in black boots going together towards the door. The wave of heat infiltrated his workroom, when the door was opened, awakening the true fear inside him. Karnaka opened his mouth to say something, even though he had no idea what it would be, but the boots disappeared in the hall and then the door was closed again.

He waited for the yells and gunshots. Some of his men would definitely come to check up on the situation. But nothing could be heard except the muted sounds of something burning.

 _Damn it… I have to get out of this myself then. Everybody is useless in the end. Everybody…_ he kept complaining in his mind.

Raynold shifted himself violently, trying to turn on his side. He managed to do it on the third attempt. The armrest of his favourite chair pinched his right hand under it, almost breaking the bones in the process.

“Shit!” Raynold swore in pain. “You two will pay for this, I swear,” he murmured while the pain from the hurt hand was blinding him.

He needed to get on his knees and in the end he managed to turn as he wanted. He intended to get on his feet and move towards the window.

_Who cares about some scratches, when the roof of my house is burning?_

Sending all his useless subordinates to Hell and promising them proper punishment, Karnaka slowly realized that he couldn´t do what he wanted. The ties were too tight and his body too numb to be able to brace and straighten himself.

Raynold felt the drops of sweat flowing down his face. And he also heard the flames much closer now; some cracking above his head told him that the upper floor was already badly damaged. He took a deep breath and tried again, but he only ended up on his side, this time probably breaking the bones in his fingers with the fall.

“Shit, this is ridiculous! I cannot die like this!” his swearing was interrupted by a heavy cough. Only then he noticed that his workroom was gradually filing up with heavy smoke. “This is… impossible. There is… no way I would…”

But one part of him already knew that the room would become his grave. He was going to be consumed by fire. After everything what he had accomplished, after all those guards he hired…

_Impossible… Impossible!_

Karnaka kept telling that to himself even at the moment when the part of ceiling caved into the workroom, letting the flames spread over the expensive carpet, consume the clock in the corner, the table with all his documentation and also the terrible painful screams from his throat…

*

 

Neither Kazuya nor Jin hesitated even for one second, when they left that room and closed the door behind them. They both felt that what they did was right.

Not saying a word, they started running towards the main hall. There was no time to remain in the house any longer. The plan was proceeding during their dealing with Raynold Karnaka and the Babb Indians used the incendiary arrows to let the kerosene oil on the roofs flare.

Their surrounding was warmer with each passed second and the air in the rooms was filling up with grey clouds. They covered their faces by the scarves to protect them in front of the heat and preventing themselves to breathe in too much smoke.

Unfortunately, they found out that their planning worked even too well, when they arrived into the main corridor. Instead of a door to the veranda there was a wall of flames, as the fire already consumed the wooden part of it. There was no exit for them anymore.

Kame and Jin looked at each other and then turned on their heels to rush back through the corridors towards the back door.

The alarming and almost hysterical calls were heard from the outside, as some slaves were bringing the buckets of water from the well in foolish attempt to cease the fire. They had no idea, how the false attack at the back gate ended, but supposedly the Babb Indians should have retreated to safety by now.

They were already close to the stairs for servants, which Jin and Liwan used before, when Kame heard something. It sounded like a desperate calling for help, which didn´t let him continue.

He stopped running and looked around the corridor. The air was almost clear there, so it was easy to find one half-open door.

“Kame! Come on, we must get out of here!” Jin called over to him from the entrance to the kitchen.

“Wait! I heard somebody!” Kame yelled back, so that his voice would reach Jin through the roar of rapidly approaching flames.

“What?! Wait, don´t…!”

But Kame already dashed towards the door, pushing them to open fully.

It was the dining room for black servants and it was empty. But there was another door on the opposite side and the screams and also faint bangs kept coming out from there. And that voice... It sounded as if it was a child.

Kame jumped towards the door and tried to open it, but it was locked. He was more than aware of the flames behind the window, which lit up the room, but he ignored them and searched for anything to destroy the lock.

“Kame!! Damn it, what are you doing?!” Jin stomped inside the room furiously.

“Please! Help! Help!” another scared scream was heard from behind the door, giving Jin the response instead of Kame.

“Shit…” the young gunslinger commented.

“Help me to find something!” Kame was opening the drawers of the big cabinet one by one. “It´s locked.”

“We have no fucking time for this!” Jin burst out and approached the door. “No matter who you´re, step back!”

“Please, help us! Please!”

“Step back! Or we´re leaving! Now!” Jin yelled impatiently.

The calls ceased right away and he waited only three more seconds, before he prepared himself.

“Jin, what do you...?”

Kazuya didn´t finish his question, as the older one already supported himself over the doorframe firmly. Then he raised his leg and aiming precisely at some spot near the doorknob, he kicked over it with his heavy boot twice in the fast sequence.

The door shook heavily under the first kick and swung wide open under the second, accompanied with the crack of hinges ripped out of their places, making Kame´s eyes go wide in surprise.

“Damn door,” Jin complained rudely, while standing at one leg, trying to shake the painful pins and needles from the second.

“We could have used some less violent way to get in,” Kame stated and approached the dark space carefully.

“It worked, didn´t it?” Jin snapped, massaging his numb thigh.

Kame rather focused on the doorway, where he spotted some small figures.

“Hey… Don´t be afraid, come out,” he forced his voice to be calm, even though all his instincts urged him to get out immediately.

Kame and Jin, both on the brink of their composure, watched as two black children popped out from the darkness of the small cellar.

“Please, don´t… Don´t punish us anymore…” an approximately ten-year-old girl sobbed.

“Nobody will punish you,” Kame assured her hastily.

Jin´s face turned pale despite the high temperature inside the house, when he realized that the kids were probably locked up in the cellar since the evening. Except the girl, there was a little younger, but sturdy boy, whose face was wet from tears.

“Come on, we must run now,” Kazuya urged on the girl, raising his hands towards her.

The girl hesitated. But when she looked over Kame´s face carefully, something told her she didn´t have to be afraid of him and let Kame pick her up from the floor.

“Take her, I´ll take the boy,” Kame turned to hand the child over to the older one.

But Jin didn´t move and seemed perplexed.

“Jin! Take the girl!” Kame urged on him again and the other one finally nodded, taking the girl in his arms. “Come on, we will get you out,” Kazuya grabbed the boy´s hand firmly.

The sudden roar and cracking made all of them flinch. It was definitely near the kitchen and both kids cried out in fear. And it also forced Jin to get himself out of numbness.

“Let´s get out of here!” he exclaimed.

“Go! I´m right behind you!” Kame assured him.

Jin dashed into the corridor as the first, with Kame following his back. It was already damn heavy to breathe, as the hall was full of new smoke and the flames were flickering from the nearby rooms. Everything was so hot. Hot and smoky.

Half-blind Jin let his instincts work and rushed towards the exit as fast as possible. The loud sounds indicated the roof was crumbling; the hot sparks were all around them. The boy, still holding Kame´s hand, stumbled and almost fell down, before Kame grabbed him up and took him in his arms too, remaining just three steps behind Jin.

They raced into the kitchen, noticing the high flames behind its windows. Not paying attention to it, Jin headed towards the door, still straining the sobbing girl against his chest, and kicked them open. The gust of fresh air told him the way out was free.

Not caring what awaited them outside, as it was definitely less dangerous than the fire on rampage; Jin passed through the door and stumbled down the short veranda on the cold ground. Rushing a few steps away from it, to get them further from the glowing flames, he heard an awful noise of something falling.

He put the girl on the ground and quickly turned to make sure, that Kazuya was all right. But the younger guy was nowhere in his sight. There was just the pile of burning boards from the collapsed veranda´s roof and pillars. The back exit disappeared behind the wall of roaring fire. And Kame with the small boy apparently didn´t manage to get out on time...

“No…” Jin´s throat was squeezed in horror and disbelief, so that he almost couldn´t breathe. Despite that he yelled the younger´s name: “No! Kazuya!!”


	47. Losing control

**T** heir idea to use kerosene for speeding up the destruction of the white farm worked perfectly. But Jin was not exactly happy about such a result at that moment.

The huge flames were consuming everything wooden within their reach with greedy roar, including the greater part of the small veranda.

“My brother! My poor little brother!” the rescued girl was on the edge of hysteria. She knelt on the ground, with tears in her eyes, crying for her sibling hopelessly.

Jin didn´t give a shit about the hot danger, as he rushed back towards that blazing hell. Only a painfully strong grip prevented him from running right into the wall of yellow orange flames.

“What are you doing?! You want to get yourself killed?!”

It was Liwan´s voice yelling right into Jin´s ear that snapped him out of panic, which flooded him when he didn´t find the younger one outside. Jin turned to the Indian, whose face was stained with someone´s blood, and with a shaking hand he pointed at the former back entrance of the house.

“Kazuya…” that was the only word, which Jin was able to get through his narrow throat.

Liwan stiffened, as he understood what it meant. Then his eyes observed the burning veranda from one side to another.

“That window…” he breathed out and loosened the grip on Jin´s arms.

Jin followed the direction of Liwan´s glance and noticed what the Indian meant. There was the last window, which supposedly belonged to the kitchen, where the flames hadn´t reached yet, even though they had already flooded the roof above it. It was accessible just behind the burning railing...

Suddenly, the air full of terrified and also painful screams, which Jin barely perceived, was cut with a sharp neigh, which made both young men stare in awe at the animal, which appeared on their side.

A beautiful white mare somehow sensed her master was in danger and she left the spot, where they hid their horses before the attack. Ukushi reached the burning farm at full gallop and neighed again.

Liwan didn´t hesitate; they had to do something before it was too late.

The young shaman jumped on the mare in one swift move and incited her towards the wall of flames. Ukushi was definitely startled, but she didn´t struggle with Liwan´s lead, as he made the mare stand on her back feet and by going back down destroy the railing, while stomping on the hot embers.

Running Jin managed to get there too, just when Liwan guided the animal to step up on the veranda and kick against the firm shutters, which covered the window. It took three Ukushi´s desperate attempts, before the wood was destroyed enough for them to hear the breaking of glass behind it.

Liwan dismounted the heavily snorting mare and immediately joined Jin, who was already getting rid off of the window´s protection, while Ukushi backed off from the veranda.

The threatening reflections of the fire licked the boards under their feet, while both the young gunman and the Indian kept throwing the remains of the shutters away.

“Kame!” Jin screamed into the broken window, hitting all across the frame, not caring about own safety, even when the sharps cut through his coat, reaching to the skin. “Kame!!” he yelled again more desperately, when there was no reply, almost hurting his cords.

Jin leant into the window, trying to see through the mist of smoke, when a small hand reached to him. His head snapped down to see that boy from the cellar and behind him, just under the window, kneeling Kame, who was not able to catch his breath to reply.

Not thinking for a second, Jin supported himself on the frame and jumped over it inside the kitchen, grabbing the kid first. His Indian companion was ready and pulled the boy out of the window. Then Jin leant down through the thickening smoke clouds and grasped heavily coughing Kazuya for both arms, picking him up on his feet. He pushed the younger one towards the window and there was Liwan already again, helping Kame to climb over the frame.

Jin´s eyes were full of acrid feeling and tears and the heavy coughs tore his lungs apart as he followed Kame´s staggering figure over the rest of veranda.

The three young men leaning over each other stumbled towards the small boy, who had rushed into his sister´s arms, when the fire behind them took shape in its full force.

From the distance, it looked as if the whole house was built from flames for a few seconds, before the walls started to collapse inside each other with a heavy rumble. The crazy blaze brightened up the surrounding areas, uncovering the fuss around the burning farm. Almost all Karnaka´s guards and slaves were spread around the gardens, staring at the disaster of the rich residence numb in shock.

The little group escaping the certain death from the back part of the building remained unnoticed for the moment, but it was clear that it wouldn´t take long, before somebody´s attention would focus on them.

Ukushi and now also Kuro, who couldn´t let himself to be ashamed by his female comrade, were nearby, stomping over the half-frozen half-wet ground nervously. Liwan was the first one to catch his breath and he kneeled down to check on both kids, who were so happy to be outside together, that they didn´t even notice one of their saviours was scarily looking Indian. Liwan gestured them to return to the other black slaves, whose figures could be seen among the bare trees of Karnaka´s garden and turned to both youngsters, who almost ended up burnt along with the mansion´s owner.

Kazuya was leaning over the older one´s form with the eyes closed, his breath just a strenuous wheeze between his lips. Akanishi was holding him around the waist, supporting Kame wordlessly with more than clear relief on his face.

Liwan watched the couple for a long moment, feeling envy, but at the same time certain affection to their bond, which would definitely get only stronger after this night.

“Hey! Boys! I see an Indian over there!” a shouting from the other side of the backyard told Liwan that they were just exposed.

Kuro already shoved Jin with his head, to remind him they were not quite safe yet. Liwan helped the young gunman to get Kazuya up into the saddle in front of him first, before he mounted patiently waiting Ukushi too.

Three riders on two horses dashed through the destroyed gate accompanied with a solitary gunshot coming from one guard, who had recognized them. But none of Karnaka´s subordinates was capable of fast enough action to chase after the fleeing attackers. Not to mention there wasn´t anyone, who would have given such an order to them. So, the young avengers left the burning mansion behind their backs.

*

 

When the black stallion and white mare reached the meeting spot at the edge of the silent forest in the west of Karnaka´s fields, the bright glow behind them was changing the night into day. By that time both Jin and Kame were already able to breathe normally and almost all members of the Babb Tribe along with Hawk Eye were waiting for their arrival.

The task of their Indian helpers in the plan was clear enough – to make a distraction, and then flee from the property, as soon as the fire was set up. None of the three guys thirsty for revenge wanted to have their blood on hands. Unfortunately, despite their efforts not to expose the Babb group to any mortal danger, they lost two warriors during the fight. But the losses on Karnaka´s side were much heavier...

Only unwillingly Jin let Kame slip out of his arms, when the younger one got down from Kuro and took over the reins of Ukushi. As Liwan´s horse was waiting on the place, the younger one could ride on his white friend again.

After their reunion, the Babb Indians were the first to lead the way away. Liwan gave the last glance to the glow on the horizon. Then the young Indian made some sign in the air, throwing his head backwards for a moment, which meaning Jin didn´t understand, and he followed the others.

Kame and Jin remained as the last on the place, remaining in their saddles, watching the light in the distance together, quietly.

This was it. They did it. They accomplished their goal, fulfilled their revenge against Raynold Karnaka.

Jin felt some indefinite relief in his heart; he was simply glad he was able to keep his promise to Pi. And Karnaka couldn´t have destroyed anyone´s life anymore…

He was not happy about what they had to do to achieve that. They killed some of Karnaka´s guards, they let the old man to his quite awful death and they might have brought the ending of lives to other people on the farm, too. It was a miracle they had managed to save those kids. But no matter all of that, it felt so good knowing that Karnaka was burnt down along with his fucking white mansion...

Kame couldn´t find peace staring at the reflection of that disaster they caused, not when he realized it cost the lives, of those who were gunmen or slaves. They might have been cruel and bad people, but they might have been innocent, too. And it bothered Kame´s mind and heart.

But somehow, he felt that his mother´s soul finally found the rest she was seeking for, no matter where she was… Those words, when she talked about payback for what had happened to their family, were her dying wish. Now it was done and that was more than enough for Kazuya at the moment. Not to mention the strong satisfaction he felt, and which he had seen on Liwan´s face too.

Jin and Kame tore their eyes off of the horizon at the same moment and looked at each other.

“Shall we go?” Jin broke the silence in a little hoarse voice.

“Yeah,” Kame agreed, nodding slightly.

Both young riders turned their faithful horses and headed towards the south, following the calmly proceeding group of their Indian friends.

***

 

Cameron hadn´t felt the urge to cry for many years. Maybe already since the moment he had stopped being a kid and became a man, who killed another person for the first time in his life. He had learnt to be composed and to deal calmly with any situation. Shedding tears was a sign of weakness, which he was not willing to show in front of his master.

Even at that moment, when the black-grey scene in front of his eyes was definitely worth of any crying and screaming, he couldn´t bring himself to it. He stared at the destruction of his former home for many long minutes, and he couldn´t utter a word or shed a tear.

In the whole world he wouldn´t have imagined that something like this would welcome him at his return. The thick smoke in the valley... The destroyed gates... Doctor Best trying to help to all wounded and burnt people spread around the gardens hopelessly... Clueless guards in stinking clothes, drinking up the supplies from the private cellar of his lord... And worst of all, that black mess instead of the white mansion...

Cameron´s wide opened eyes noticed an old black servant, who was supposed to take care of his master, while he was dealing with Grenet in Livingstone. He stepped into his way faster than the old man could have even blinked, and grabbed the collar of his dirty shirt.

“Ma…Master… Ca…Cameron… It´s you…”

“What happened here?” Cameron hardly recognized own voice, distorted with anger.

“I…I… They…”

“Stop stuttering, now,” he hissed at that old idiot sharply. “Again. What happened last night? And where is Mr. Karnaka?”

The servant´s face went pale, as he answered hesitantly: “Indians attacked, sir. In the middle of last night.”

“How many?” Cameron raised another question. “What tribe?”

“Just a small group, sir, I am not sure. And I´m not familiar with the tribes... They destroyed the back gate and then they set the house on fire.”

“This house had thirty rooms!” he snapped at the servant. “How could they have burnt it down just like that? Why didn´t you douse it?”

“They used kerosene, sir,” the black man explained in a shaking voice. “They spilled it all over the roofs.”

“Kerosene?” Cameron repeated in disbelief. “Indians using kerosene? Are you kidding me?”

“No, sir,” the man shook his head violently.

Cameron stared at the black slave thinking furiously about what that could have meant…

“Were any white ones with them?” he asked then.

“Yes, probably,” the servant nodded slowly. “Somebody saw two gunmen or something. I don´t know, sir. I really don´t. You need to ask others... The guards...”

“All right, I will,” he interrupted that annoying whining. “But what about the master? Where is he?”

“I´m so sorry, sir, but... but…”

“But what?!” Cameron snapped releasing his burning anger fully, so that the poor servant started to shake in fear.

“They say Mister Karnaka was left in the house, sir. They say he is dead.”

Cameron remained staring at the old Negro, saying nothing at all.

“Sir? Sir, I´m really sorry… I don´t know anything else...”

But the other man didn´t hear the servant anymore. Cameron´s eyes showed nothing except pain and ice-cold anger. Their shine was almost insane, which made the old black man feel sick. And he wished for only one thing at the moment – for Cameron to let him go and at the best never talk to him again.

***

 

It was a strange feeling to see the house of Kamenashi family again.

Even though none of them mentioned it, both Kame and Jin knew there was a high possibility they would have to sacrifice everything they had for their revenge, including their lives. Their torn out and partially burnt clothes, as well as almost black faces were more than clear evidences of that they had just barely escaped the fate like that.

So, returning back to the place, from which they had set off with so pessimistic expectations, and seeing that calm winter scenery in front of them seemed a little unreal, but also more than nicely at the same moment. They were finally able to let themselves enjoy the relief about the fact that their dangerous task was done.

Their common journey with the Indians ended, when their path started to ascend to the Rocky Mountains. Jin and Kame assured the red men of Babb Tribe, that they would help them if they happened to be in need. They basically committed themselves to repay their debt once. And they did it despite Liwan was willing to take this duty on himself only.

Kazuya didn´t let his Indian friend go until Liwan promised to wait with their departure to the reservation in the north until Kame arrives. Now, when their plan was accomplished to its bittersweet end, the younger one really wanted to help the rest of the tribe to move out and he promised to come soon.

As came for what was supposed to happen next, Jin had realized that they didn´t discuss the topic together yet, but decided to postpone it for later. With Karnaka dead, they had more than enough time for that. Of course, there was a chance, that some of his men would be eager for getting a payback, but they didn´t give much importance to it. Karnaka´s former gunmen should have been busier with looking for a new source of their income and the young avengers also thought that almost nobody actually noticed them on the scene of the fire. The ones, who did saw them there and could have recognized them, were dead.

For the moment, they both believed that they could have some time for rest, and no matter how short that time would be, they welcomed it pretty much.

During their journey back, the heaven got overcast with dark clouds, and the dusk was already replacing the poor daylight, when they arrived to a shed behind the silent house.

“It seems it will be dark soon…” Kame guessed observing the gloomy sky above them, after he dismounted Ukushi. “I need to get some water from the well, till there´s still some light...”

“Just go to do what´s needed,” Jin reacted calmly. “I´ll take care of both of them,” he promised, patting his dear Kuro.

That was something definitely agreed between the two of them - no matter how tired they were, the horses always came first to be properly treated. Especially after what the animals did for them recently.

Kame´s hand touched Jin on the shoulder gratefully, as he passed around him.

“Thanks…”

“None needed…” Jin murmured, already taking the saddle off of Kuro´s back.

*

When Jin was finished with a proper care for their awesome animal friends and stepped out the little shed, which was basically consisted of only one wall and a roof standing on four props, something tiny and very cold fell on his face. In the poor light of a small lantern, which Kame brought meanwhile and hung it on the holder; Jin noticed the small snowflakes dancing in the air. There was only a few of them, but considering how the sky looked like before it darkened so much it couldn´t be seen, they could have expected heavier snowfall very soon.

Jin went around the house, attracted to the warm light in the front windows. Entering the kitchen, which was just starting to get really warm, he noticed that Kame managed to get the whole boiler of water for washing to heat up and there was also a pot of hot tea on the table.

“Serve yourself!” Kame called from the bedroom, where he was covering the window´s frame with the thick old cloths carefully, when Jin peeked in.

“Expecting the ice age to come?” the older one asked, when he saw that also some holes in the walls were blocked in a similar way.

“Kind of…” the younger one replied turning to him.

Kame was still dressed in dirty clothes, and his face tired, but calm. Seeing the younger one like that, Jin felt exactly the same way.

“I made some tea, but I guess you would welcome something stronger first, wouldn´t you?” Kazuya asked suddenly.

A smile brightened up Jin´s face, when the younger one went around him and through the kitchen to the short hall. Then he disappeared behind the small door, which probably led into the cellar.

“You know me well, don´t you?” Jin repaid Kame´s almost playful tone, unbuttoning his coat in the warm room.

Kazuya returned with a full bottle in his hands: “Harada offered me a good prize…” he said innocently.

“Maybe he had an idea we might want to celebrate something,” Jin reacted, watching Kame preparing two glasses for drinks.

“Maybe...” the younger one agreed, opening the quite tempting bottle of whiskey. “So? What should we toast to?”

“Well...” Jin hesitated. “I think that it´d be a little... awful to drink to somebody´s death,” he stated slowly. “No matter how glad I´m that Karnaka _is_ dead...”

“The same here,” Kazuya reacted, when he finished pouring the liquid into both glasses.

“Hmm... What about to drink on that _we_ had survived our mission?” Jin proposed then.

Kame handed him one drink with a grateful nod: “I definitely agree.”

Both of them threw the liquid inside their throats with the blissful faces.

“In the end I´ll teach you how to drink properly,” Jin chuckled, when he saw Kame´s relieved expression.

“Forget it; this is only an exception,” Kame shook his head in disagreement. “What about a dinner?”

“Later,” Jin put the empty glass on the table. “I want to feed Kuro and Ukushi first.”

“Sure, there is a package of oat in the corridor, you can use that,” the other reacted. “We will prepare something better for them tomorrow.”

“All right,” Jin agreed and headed back to the cold outside sooner than the warmness of the alcohol would stop affecting him.

*

Before Jin returned, Kame managed to wash himself thoroughly in the small room, which they had used as a bathroom, already when he was just a kid. There was a deep sink with the outflow beneath the flooring and an unfinished shower, which his father had planned to build on Kazuya´s mother´s request before… Before that attack happened.

Kame used the corner of the space for all his dirty and smelly clothes now, changing into light trousers and his favourite checked shirt. He was incredibly relieved to get rid of that smoke odour, which reminded him all those happenings on the farm.

Just when he let the cool water flow away, he heard that the main door opened again. Kame returned to the kitchen right after Jin, drying his hair up with a towel.

“Ah, here you´re…” Jin´s eyes scanned the younger one from head to toes. “Feeding done, they both seemed quite satisfied...”

Only then, feeling that glance, Kame realized that he didn´t even button his shirt up. He gulped down heavily and felt his cheeks getting warm.

“Glad to hear that... It´s your turn now,” he said, quickly turning away from the older one. “You can wash yourself, before I prepare something to eat. Just use the water from the stove, it´s already hot.”

“That´s great!” Jin reacted going to the bedroom to dig in his stuff and pick up some clean clothes. “I haven´t noticed a bathroom here before.”

Kame let the towel hang around his neck and started to look into the shelves to figure out something for a proper dinner.

“It´s more like a tiny dark corner with a hole for dirty water,” he warned the other one. “I left the lantern there for you.”

“Some cleaning up sounds quite tempting anyway… I feel like a half-baked steak,” Jin murmured going back through the kitchen and headed to the mentioned room.

Kame had already started to prepare for some quick meal, when Jin returned once again, took the full boiler from the stove and brought it away into the ´bathroom´, closing the door behind him. Kame breathed out, only when that sound was heard. He still felt a lump in his throat, caused by that short Jin´s look.

They had just got through the attack on the most powerful man around in one piece; they were exhausted emotionally and also physically and still… Kazuya´s thoughts were swirling around the way Jin _was looking_ at him.

They were alone and at peace. Finally, after all those horrible happenings, they didn´t have to rush anywhere, they were not ambushed or in the middle of furious snowstorm. Kame could have told himself that he felt hot after the whiskey they had gulped down, but that Jin´s glance…

 _Control yourself, Kamenashi!_ he scolded himself, when a hot shiver went through his stomach again. _You didn´t want to rush the things up, did you?_

Focusing on cutting up the potatoes into the small pieces helped him to calm down a little, even though he almost cut his fingers off in the process.

Suddenly, when he wanted to proceed to the carrots, Kame remembered that he didn´t give Jin any towel.

 _As I was so distracted, right? I couldn´t even pay attention to something so trivial_...

Kame hang his own towel over the holder above the stove first, before going into the bedroom again and to the huge closet, which he supplied with a few things Mrs. Brice managed to force to him, when he was leaving Bozeman City. He stubbornly ignored the nervousness in his stomach, when he approached the bathroom´s door and knocked on them, determined not to behave like an anxious teenager...

 

“Jin? I´ve brought you a towel, if you don´t mind…” the muted voice behind the door said almost at the very moment Jin thought that he would really use some dry cloth.

“Great!” he reached out his hand and opened the door without thinking, turning back to the sink right away to deflate the awful water from it.

When Jin raised his eyes again, focusing them at the small mirror on the wall, he spotted Kazuya in that adorable red shirt looking at him through the space between the open door and its frame. His almost dry hair was dishevelled in a quite adorable way and his eyes were shining. It was such a good feeling to see the younger guy in that small reflection; he was there alive and incredibly beautiful... Only a little was missed and it could have been totally otherwise…

Jin tried to take a deep breath, but suddenly he couldn´t deal with the thick hot air, when their eyes connected in the mirror.

The younger one made a careful step inside the small room, reaching out with the towel towards Jin, who couldn´t let his eyes off of him.

“Here,” Kame almost choked on the word, which didn´t surprise Jin at all, as he felt his own throat stuffed with something heavy too...

 

The door opened almost right away, uncovering the naked – _almost_ naked, Kame corrected himself, seeing the pants on Jin – body in the light of the lantern on the wall. All the dirt was gone and the water was dripping from Jin´s hair on his back. Just the scars after the torture were spoiling the view, which pinched Kame´s heart remembering that pain Jin had to go through. But no matter the scars, Jin´s wet body was so alluring, that Kame had a hard time to resist the desire to touch it…

The warm humidity was filling the bathroom up and Kame´s next words got stuck in his throat, when the dark eyes focused at him in the reflection of the small mirror. He gulped down heavily, and stepped inside with the towel in his hand, wondering why the hell he didn´t leave it hanging on the door knob.

“Here,” he managed to force through the narrow throat.

Jin didn´t say anything, he just kept watching him with those eyes… Kame had to persuade his lungs to keep working by willpower; otherwise he would be short on breath.

Suddenly, Jin turned around, and there was not the reflection of his eyes anymore; there were the dark orbs themselves trying to consume Kame in their depths.

The older one grabbed the towel and pulled it towards himself with Kame still holding on it. When their lips met in the eagerly awaited reunion, Kazuya forgot about any towels right away. The cloth fell on the floor, as he locked his arms around the other one´s neck, while Jin´s hands grabbed him around his waist.

Jin gave Kazuya a long and kind of shaky kiss. Even though he pulled away then, he remained close, pressing his forehead against Kame´s.

“I was so damn scared…” Jin breathed out heavily with his eyes still closed. “When you didn´t come out…”

“I know…” Kazuya reacted faintly, while his fingers soothed the ends of Jin´s hair in a comforting way subconsciously. “I´m sorry…”

“Don´t be sorry. Just promise me to stay out of any fires for a while.”

“And who will heat up in the stove?” Kame asked whispering.

“I will,” Jin decided.

His determined response was rewarded by another touch of the younger´s lips.

After their separation, after the dangerous night attack, during which they had decided about Raynold Karnaka´s fate together and then almost burnt to death, having the younger one in his arms felt so damn good that Jin didn´t understand, how he could have endured not holding Kazuya for so long. And when Kame pressed himself against him, fitting into his hug perfectly, it told Jin that the other felt the same.

Eager to let the other one know about his feelings, Jin opened his mouth and urging on those warm lips he broke inside Kazuya´s with his tongue, probing around until he found his mate, which welcomed him tenderly. Then he focused on Kazuya´s lower lip sucking on it only very softly, which basically immobilized the younger one.

Not exactly knowing from where that urge was coming from, Jin yearned for much more. He wanted _everything_ from Kazuya... And he was willing to stop thinking to achieve that, because thinking was holding him back.

 

That tender action of Jin´s skilful lips squeezed Kame´s stomach. Under the ministrations, he even forgot to pay the kiss back for a moment, feeling Jin´s hot breath going inside his half-open mouth right before it was followed by the demanding lips again. The older one was kissing him with a rising urgency now, which didn´t allow Kame to breathe until Jin released him.

Trying to take at least one proper breath, Kame dared to open his eyes a little, just to sink into Jin´s ones filled with... lust.

The older one forced him to make a step backwards, until Kame had to lean on the wooden wall, just like back then in the saloon´s room. And also this time it ignited the wave of hot longing for more inside Kazuya´s body, only this time it was much stronger. He wanted to protest, when Jin´s hands left his waist, but they did it just to tug on the cloth of his shirt. Jin almost ripped off those two buttons Kame managed to put together only a while ago. Then he pushed the shirt wide open hastily and pressed himself against Kame again, only this time it was skin to skin, so that they could feel each other´s breathing and fast heartbeat.

Kame let his hands go lower, he soothed over Jin´s neck, then shoulders, reaching his chest and going back up, not letting himself to give in to the temptation so fast.

With a vicious look in his eyes, Jin set off to explore Kame´s neck with his lips, while his hands caressed the younger´s lower back. The hot kisses placed on his skin made Kazuya gasp for breath. Not realizing it fully, he fidgeted under the increasing pressure, trying to get even closer to Jin.

Jin huffed softly against Kame´s neck, before he raised his head again. The kiss that followed was an undecided match, during which Jin´s hands went even lower, so that Kame could feel the hard grip on his butt, which made him moan into their kiss.

Kazuya wanted Jin so much, that he thought it was not possible for him to bear with it any longer. He wanted to feel the older guy in all ways possible, to be so close to him as nobody before...

It was damn hard to separate from those demanding lips, but in the end he made it. Kame didn´t say anything in response on that questioning dark look of the older one, he just let his hand to slip down between their bodies and grabbed the edge of Jin´s pants. While keeping his eyes locked with Jin´s, he sneaked behind the annoying cloth and hugged the other´s hot and hard member with his fingers...

 

The waves of excitement and desire were threatening Jin to drown in them, bringing him on the very edge of self-control. But even though Kazuya didn´t seem to mind his demanding touches and kisses, there was still something what prevented Jin from letting his lust to take over completely.

He had absolutely no doubt about what he wanted at that moment. He wanted to have that beautiful guy, who was shaking and breathing heavily in his arms.

Jin wanted to feel Kazuya as close as it was only possible for them; he yearned for the younger one as for nothing else in his life so far. He wanted that boy to be _his_. And when the slim hand locked Jin´s proud in the eager grip, Jin thought that he could have hardly expected any objections against his wish.

But there was a small part of Jin, which got worried, when he realized what should have followed inevitably. His mind, even though it was already blurred with crazy desire to get this through over the final border, was flooded by the troublesome ´ _what if´s_ ´. And that was exactly what he was not supposed to let happen…


	48. Behind the last wall

**_T_ ** _he Indian village located at the shore a huge lake and hidden behind the impervious rocks was slowly getting quieter as its habitants were preparing to sleep. Only the lonely fire, remoted from all wigwams, was a witness of an unusual conversation between the brave Indian and young gunslinger, which took longer than any of the two had expected..._

_“Listen… It is important that you will not take care of yourself only. You have to pay attention to what Kame wants and likes,” Liwan spoke on a very serious tone, but despite that the playful lights could have been seen in his eyes, which he focused on the black-haired youngster sitting on the log right in front of him._

_“Naturally…” Jin murmured, not very happy about being lectured like some slow-witted teenager. But he was determined to bear anything, if it was for Kazuya, even the Indian´s superior attitude._

_“Considering the way you asked about this, you expect to be on the top, right?” the Shaman´s son asked._

_“What? Well...uhm…” Jin felt his face burning at the idea, not able of any coherent reply._

_Liwan sighed, already a little tired of difficult dealing with the anxious white man._

_“I suppose you do…” Liwan assumed. “Then you must let him relax and loosen up first. Let Kame accustom to the feeling. Simply – do not rush the things up. Do you understand?”_

_Jin just nodded, not trusting his voice at the moment._

_“And do not worry about it too much, it causes nothing but troubles,” the Indian continued. “Kame will be definitely nervous as well, but if any of you let it control your actions, you will get nowhere. I guess you know what I mean...”_

_More precisely it will end up with me being embarrassed for the rest of my life… Jin thought gloomily._

_“Why should Kame be nervous, though?” he asked aloud. “I´m the one completely new in…” Jin stopped talking under the focused glance of Liwan._

_“Akanishi... Do you really think Kame is such a….”Liwan hesitated for a while, searching for the correct word. “Such a professional in this?”_

_“Well…” Jin gulped down heavily, suddenly feeling even more uncomfortable than during past couple of minutes. “Is he not?”_

_Liwan crossed the arms over his chest, frowning a little: “To be honest, I do not know how far they got with Wenity, who was the closest to Kame once, but they were really young back then. But in case that my best friend had a regular sexual life, I would have known about it.”_

_Jin almost forgot to close his mouth in surprise._

_“Wait, you mean that Kame is…?”_

_“It does not matter what I think,” Liwan interrupted him hastily, already also quite anxious about the whole topic they discussed. “What matters is what attitude you two will take towards this.”_

_“Hmm… I understand….” Jin reacted slowly._

_“Really?” Liwan raised his eyebrows and leant closer to the guy. “You do not seem very convinced.”_

_“It´s just…that… This is...” once again Jin had no idea how to express what was on his mind._

_“Look, Akanishi…” the Indian spoke again, looking right into Jin´s eyes. “This is the weirdest conversation I ever had in my life. Not to mention that it concerns the person I consider being my brother. But the main point is simple for me – if you care for each other as much as I think you do, you will find your way no matter what I say to you this evening.”_

_Jin stared at the other one for a long moment, as Liwan´s open words caught him unprepared. The reason he asked about the sex issue was that Jin felt being attracted to the young bartender beyond something what he could control, which made him somewhat troubled. If there would be a chance, it was highly possible that their relationship would cross the line once and he didn´t want to have that uncertain feeling inside him all that time. But the Indian just said there was something much more between them and that made Jin lost on words. And on the other side, it also helped him a lot..._

_“Well… Thank you, Liwan,” Jin said finally, when he found his voice._

_“That is not necessary... Under one condition,” the young Indian replied._

_“What condition?” he asked confused._

_“You will never ask me about something like this again. Never,” Liwan´s sharp glance almost made Jin pull away from him to the safer distance. He had fully realized that he was not the only one anxious as hell about their conversation._

_“All right, I got it... You can count on me not ever bothering you with this for a second time,” he assured the Indian with a small smirk._

***

 

Well, it was easy for Liwan to say – _do not worry too much_. But now, when it came down to it, Jin couldn´t help but feel the strong fear related to _what if_ he would do something awfully wrong. And his worries tried to hold him back in the most inappropriate moment. On the other hand, there was something what Jin hadn´t expected – that fear was much weaker than his desire after Kazuya...

Kame´s hand under Jin´s pants moved down and up again slowly, and that simple movement flooded the older one´s brain with something burning. But Kame had already done the best he could have for him before, in the last standing wigwam of the Blackfeet Tribe´s village and Jin wanted to repay the younger one for that.

So in the end Jin´s persistent worries didn´t prevent him from reacting on Kazuya´s lustful action. One of his hands left the round bottom, and then copied the line of the younger´s slender waist, before it went down right into Kame´s trousers. Sinking into the goldish eyes, which were encouraging him to continue, Jin let his fingers close around Kazuya´s awakening member gently, feeling another wave of heat, just from how intimately he could touch the younger one.

When Jin stroked the warm flesh slowly, Kazuya threw his head back, his red lips letting a heated moan out. That agitated sound made Jin stop caring about his stupid doubts completely. In case he had done something wrong, it would have been recognizable on Kazuya for sure. It was just as Liwan said – paying a proper attention to the younger one would lead him further.

Once that last inner barrier of his was down, there was nothing what could have stopped Jin anymore. Changing the angle a little, he stroked over Kazuya´s most private body part again, pulling out another excited reaction from him. Hearing it and knowing that it was caused by his touch felt too awesome for Jin not to repeat the movement.

With each second, Jin felt his own arousal, placed in the soft capture of Kame´s fingers, getting stronger. It was not something what he could, or even wanted to control. The hot desire after the slim body in his arms was flooding the older one from head to toes and making him almost lose his mind. Jin wanted every little piece of Kazuya for himself, to touch him everywhere possible, to swallow his whole existence. There was nothing more important for him at the moment.

The younger one gasped for breath heavily, when Jin´s thumb caressed him again, in much more demanding way this time. Kame´s shiny eyes and flushed cheeks and mainly the strengthened grip around his own cock... All of that at once Jin couldn´t handle anymore; he wanted to keep at least a bit of his composure a little longer. So with the other hand he grabbed Kame´s wrist and pulled it away from his pants...

 

Kazuya blinked, a little confused, but the pressure of Jin´s fingers on his own proud made him forget any objections right away. He placed both palms on Jin´s bare chest, trying hard not to forget breathing, when the older one´s hand continued its passionate job.

Kame closed his eyes, pressed his forehead against the firm shoulder and murmured the other´s name against his skin inaudibly. That hot feeling in his body got stronger with each even the tiniest movement which Jin´s fingers made. Kame would have never thought that his reaction on what Jin was doing could have been so powerful...

 

Jin felt incredibly hot and shaky, as he continued to play with the hard member of the younger one. With his free hand once again placed on the other´s waist, he pulled Kame a little closer, and approached the younger´s ear with his lips.

“Kazu... I want you... so much. Will you... Will you let me...?”

Jin couldn´t continue talking. It was so difficult to express himself properly, because what was happening inside him was so damn strong that he got worried about his senses.

After hearing the question, Kazuya stiffened a little and pushed himself further from Jin to be able to look into his face. The younger´s eyes were filled up with passion, but also with some kind of annoyance.

„If I _let you_?” Kame repeated, letting out a hot heavy breath. “Jin… If you stop now, I will _never_ let you touch me again.”

Surprised Jin repaid Kazuya´s very serious glance and something overwhelmed him. He _couldn´t_ think clearly anymore. There were those words of advices somewhere in his memories, but at the moment he wouldn´t be able to name any of it.

_No thinking, just acting, right?_

 

Jin was making him crazy. Kame was turned on more with each of the older one´s touches, which were blinding him with pleasure, and when Jin stopped for a while and asked for his permission, that was something what he almost couldn´t handle.

Wasn´t it obvious enough, that he definitely wanted this to continue? Sometimes, he was really hopeless about what Jin was thinking.

Kame answered his unbelievable question with the first words, which came to his mind, almost angry about that Jin hesitated again. But as soon as he did it, Jin´s eyes acquired a dangerous shine, which made Kame numb in eager expectation. Finally, it seemed that Jin would stop torturing himself with stupidities...

 

When Jin loosened the grip of his fingers and pulled his hand out of the younger´s trousers, Kame complained immediately in the form of a muted murmur. But he was not able of any protest, when Jin grabbed his arms after that and turned him around towards the wooden table with a sink.

Kame caught the edge of it to keep himself steady, when the older one pulled his trousers down hastily. Then Jin reached for Kame´s erection again, only this time from behind, while pushing himself against his alluring round bottom.

His own arousal was already yelling for more attention, but Jin ignored it the best way he could and focused on Kazuya.

 

Kame almost couldn´t move, when the other´s body pinched him on the place. He felt Jin´s chest against his back and also the older one´s hard member poking his butt, but he would have been crazy to oppose the other´s greediness at the moment. Somehow he felt, that Jin needed to have an upper hand in this and Kame was more than willing to let his beautiful companion in crime do whatever he wanted.

Kazuya bent forward a little, supporting himself on the small table and trying hard to keep the pace with Jin, who was torturing him in the most pleasant way Kame got to know so far.

It was frustrating that Jin´s teasing fingers left his hard member abandoned, just when Kame couldn´t even catch a breath for some protest. That warm hand remained above his crotch, while the other ran down along Kame´s spine, and then it reached his bottom again, soothing both sides a little harshly. Jin´s fingers strayed around his sacred hole, while Kazuya´s heart was beating like crazy. When Jin finally touched him right there, seeking for the way in, Kazuya couldn´t suppress a loud moan.

No matter what anyone had ever said about the sexual relations between men, for Kame, all of what they were doing with Jin didn´t feel wrong, only overwhelmingly good. He was not sure only about how he would be able to handle the rest, but he was so eager to get to know that feeling of Jin inside himself, that it didn´t let him worry too much.

There was a movement again and soft pressure on his hole, but Kame sensed that Jin hesitated and he forced himself to get at least some words out from his lips...

“Jin... It´s all right... Go on...” he assured the other one whispering hoarsely.

The firm and warm body pressed against Kame again, and the heated up breath soothed him across the skin of his neck.

“Just tell me if... something wrong...” Jin requested quietly and in a husky voice.

Kame managed to bring himself to just a short nod, when Jin pushed his finger inside him slowly. That intrusion kidnapped Kazuya on the wave of something unfamiliar, but so hot, that he thought he would melt down on the spot. It was the first time somebody went that far with him. First time ever and it was so incredibly strong it felt unbearable.

Jin´s other palm held its position on the sensitive skin of his abdomen, and Kame felt the older one´s focused glance on his profile, as the finger went a little deeper and stopped, letting Kame get used to its presence.

“Jin...” the name escaped the younger´s lips without him knowing about it.

First it was really strange, but at the same time it was not enough and Kazuya wanted more, much more of Jin´s body. The careful movement out and inside again triggered something inside him, about which he didn´t even know he had possessed.

“More... Jin... Just, more...” Kazuya demanded heavily.

 

It was almost scary how fast everything was happening. Jin´s arousal already got so far that he wouldn´t have been able to stop, even if the younger one requested so. When he dared to touch and intrude Kazuya´s ass, it was so tight, too tight for his greedy hard friend down there... But at the current state of his mind, that fact didn´t worry Jin anymore, it just made him want the beautiful one even more.

Kazuya´s eager request for more definitely meant that the border could have been crossed and Jin couldn´t wait anymore. He yearned for having that slim body all for himself, with that soft skin, with that shaking, that hoarse voice, and that alluring tight hole, which stole him off of his last senses.

Jin pushed two of his fingers inside Kazuya, this time with more courage and certainty, especially when he saw Kame´s facial expression full of pleasure.

He made the younger one bend a little more, to have a better access to that warm place, which he wished to conquer. The three of his fingers went in, with Jin already on the very edge and with Kame moaning in pleasure.

Jin repeated the lustful action twice, trying to be gentle, but already losing the last bit of patience. The younger´s body was shaking, but waiting eagerly, as Jin positioned himself behind him, catching his sides.

Kame´s gasp was different this time, when the older one´s painfully hard member intruded the tight place without hesitation. Jin recognized the pain in it and no matter the curtain of burning desire over his mind, that sound made him freeze.

Kazuya´s body was suddenly incredibly tense in his hold; Jin felt it as his palms were placed on the younger´s hips. He waited anxiously, biting his lower lip to restrain himself.

Very slowly Jin leant down and closer to Kazuya, placing a tender kiss on his neck and then another one, while stroking the soft skin of the younger´s thighs and waiting for a slightest sign, if he should pull away or not...

Jin had no idea how long it took, before that almost hostile feeling inside the hot secret cave released a little, and it got more welcoming to his hard member.

“Jin...” Kazuya breathed out heavily. “Move...”

There were no other words about which Jin would have been more relieved.

 

It was really hard not to scream in pain first. It shocked Kazuya how intense that feeling was – a greedy stranger in a place, which was completely sacred till that time, which was only his. Kame couldn´t get accustomed to that hard intrusion. It was something pushy and hungry right in his ass.

A glimpse of suffocating doubt shook with Kazuya awfully, just before he realized that it was not anything _strange_.

That hot thing usurping his being was turned on Jin. It was Jin´s cock, which got aroused thanks to him. The older one´s warm hands were caressing him as well, soothing Kazuya over the skin, while the warm lips were placing the butterfly kisses across his neck. That intruder was a handsome young man, who wanted him as much as Kazuya wanted him back.

When those thoughts went through Kame´s mind, the feeling changed completely. Suddenly, it was damn difficult to keep on any thinking at all. And he hastily urged on Jin to continue.

Only after his words, the older one moved again and pulled out a little, just to push back eagerly, and Kame let himself to be carried away, as he heard Jin´s irregular breath right behind himself. He couldn´t see the other´s face, but it didn´t matter at the moment. He _felt_ Jin in the closest way possible.

The older one made that move again, and again, faster each time, and then Kame caught himself at breathing heavily too, catching up with Jin´s pace, eager for more.

 

Their world was swirling.

With each second the faster pace, the heavier fight for air. Their bodies, longing for each other for so long, finally in the common rhythm, which was taking them somewhere up, to an indescribable place. To the place that was worth of any border, which they had to overcome to get there.

 

With those hot walls around his cock, it was so easy to be brought on the climax, that it would have surprised Jin, if he was not overwhelmed with those burning feelings.

And it felt awesome for Kame, when Jin came out inside him, knowing that he was the one causing it. A subconscious smile appeared on Kazuya´s sweated face, when it happened. But also his member was desperately screaming for attention. Kame reached to it and started brushing over it hastily. He knew it would not take long before…

Suddenly his hand was pulled away gently, just to be replaced with the bigger and warmer one again. Despite only going down from his heights, Jin had realized what Kame was doing and locked own fingers around his damn sensitive flesh. Kame barely managed to notice that Jin was still inside him, holding him on the place with the other hand, as his fingers guided Kazuya to his own climax faster than he would have ever thought.

It took just three gentle and at the same time the sexiest movements of Jin´s hand for Kame to come, releasing all that hotness and tension at once...

*

 

Both of them were barely standing on their feet, still connected in the most intimate way possible, still searching for their senses. They were sweating and messed up from their culmination, but neither of them felt better in ages.

 

Shakily, Jin pulled away from Kazuya, breaking their connection, just to lock him inside his arms again. He leant his chin over the younger´s shoulder, feeling the slim body so close to his, enjoying the lasting effects of the gratification, for which he was eager for quite long already.

 

Kame let himself rest in Jin´s hug, his chest rising up and down, as he was slowly calming down too.

It happened so fast he couldn´t even think about it properly. Where did his resolution ´not to rush the things much´ go?

Just a few of Jin´s touches were enough to seize his composure. Even now, coming down from the top he was brought up so suddenly, Kame felt he would not be able to calm down completely, until Jin was holding him like that.

His butt felt abandoned now, and a little sore, but Kame would have given anything to feel Jin there again...

 

After a while they realized that the air around them was cooling down. Or more precisely, they started to perceive it only when their body temperature went down.

Kame soothed with his fingers across the hands holding him and Jin released his grip. When the older one pulled away, Kame felt like losing something precious, but he was comforted right away, when Jin´s hands turned him around and the older one captured his lips in a long and very tender kiss. Then their eyes met in the warm clash. None of them said anything; even though there were words they wanted to say.

Knowing he was just not able to speak yet, Kame placed another soft kiss on Jin´s lips instead. Then he slowly slipped out from his warm embrace, looking around for trousers, which somehow ended in the pile under the sink. He felt Jin´s stare at himself, as he dressed up, staggering a little on the weak legs. He picked also Jin´s pants up and stepped closer to him again.

“It´s getting cold here...” it was like a stranger´s voice, when Kame spoke.

Jin took the cloth into one hand, but with the other he pulled Kame back to himself. Still shaky Kazuya ran across the older one´s bare chest with his fingers slowly, stopping them on the wide shoulders. Then the other´s head leant down, breathing in the younger´s hair, as if he wished to hide his face.

“I´m sorry I was so rough...” Jin murmured into the soft skin between Kazuya´s neck and shoulder.

“It´s all right, Jin...” Kame assured him, his hands finding the way into the other´s disheveled hair.

“I don´t know, really?” Jin´s hands squeezed him tighter. “We didn´t even make it into the bed...”

Kame caught Jin´s head and pulled himself further, so that he could look into those dark orbs.

“I have no complaints,” he stated seriously.

The little fires appeared in Jin´s eyes, which tickled Kame right in his stomach.

“Glad to hear that,” the older one reacted, calmed down by the statement.

“Come on... We should get some sleep...” Kazuya whispered, as the tiredness was more than ready to rule over both of them.

Kazuya grabbed Jin´s hand determined and dragged him after himself, heading to the bedroom finally.

The successful attack on Karnaka´s farm followed by their loss of self-control in the bathroom was more than sufficient combination for a good sleep. Crawling under one blanket, completely exhausted and not caring about anything else than knowing that the other one was close to them, Kazuya and Jin fell asleep in each other´s arms.

***

 

After all those difficult, dangerous and subsequently hot happenings, their bodies really needed a proper rest, so it was no wonder that both avengers didn´t know about the world until the very late morning of the next day.

Kame got out of the sleep´s bondage first, feeling warm and rested. When he wanted to shift on the other side, he realized there was an arm around him, keeping him on the place. And then a slight sore feeling in his back body part reminded him all the happenings of the previous evening at once.

Kazuya opened his eyes, feeling even too warm suddenly and turned his head carefully. A handsome gunslinger was lying just behind him on his side, remaining deep in sleep, but with his left hand firmly locked around Kazuya´s form.

The younger one observed Jin´s face, which was so close to him, with a faint smile. If the other guy was not there, maybe he would think that the passionate closing of the past day was only a beautiful wet dream. Remembering those passionate emotions, which turned Kazuya upside down and back again, he couldn´t deny that him having sex with Jin was more than real. Something made them both overcome that last wall standing and no matter if it was to forget what they did on the farm or anything else, it made Kame grateful for that.

He was not alone and he was happy despite everything what had happened recently. He felt a little guilty considering that he was that lucky in comparison with Liwan and the rest of the tribe, but he made himself shake those dark thoughts away. He didn´t want to think about bad things now.

Kazuya sat up slowly, shifting Jin´s hand aside carefully, not to wake the other one up. When the blanket slipped down from his shoulders, only then he noticed the air in the bedroom was damn cold. No wonder, they had completely forgotten about keeping a fire and this was the result.

Kame had to suppress a desire to lie back down next to Jin and let himself be hugged again. He got up quickly, threw the first pieces of clothes, which came under his hands, over himself and rushed to the kitchen, which was faintly alit by the daylight.

*

Something didn´t feel right and it woke Jin up. He was missing something what didn´t let him remain in the dreamland anymore. Where was that warm body, to which he could cuddle before falling asleep?

Jin fidgeted under the blanket and forced himself to lift his eyelids up. The bedroom was dark thanks to the curtains over the window and he was alone. He took a deep inhale, feeling the faint scent from the pillow, which was not his. And there were some sounds in the kitchen. So Kazuya got up already...

So far half-sleeping guy stiffened, when he remembered what preceded their so needed night rest and sat up hastily. He and Kazuya had slept together. And it was not just sex, it was a damn hot explosion of feelings he felt the past evening, not similar to anything Jin had experienced with women before.

He got to know the beautiful young man as close as it was only possible and it was... incredibly sweet and amazingly hot. And even those words were not enough to describe it. Just remembering the moment, when he came inside the younger one made Jin shiver with desire to repeat it again.

 _Damn... Wait, wait..._ Jin made himself breathe slowly.

He really should calm down; it was the evening of a hot sex, no question about it, but there had to be two of them to... do it again.

Jin suddenly felt embarrassed about own thinking. He yearned to get closer with Kazuya for quite some time now, but he couldn´t have ever imagined what it would be like. Certainly he didn´t expected himself to be so carried away by it... He didn´t control his actions at all. He even didn´t consider all the advices Liwan gave him about how to make it easier for both of them. He did some of it though, that he remembered, but he didn´t really think about it.

Jin sighed. Enough pondering about it already...

Rushing out of the bed sooner than his mind would start repeating that naked body in front of him again, Jin got quite a shock from how cold the room was. Grabbing the blanket and pulling it around himself he started to search for some clean clothes and then he realized it probably stayed in the bathroom. He completely forgot about it, and he had only pants on himself.

Stepping over the boards barefoot, Jin headed to the other room.

The fire was already cracking in the stove, the pot with water on it and the owner of the house was nowhere to be seen. Frowning Jin went to the bathroom first, which was so unfriendly in comparison with the previous night, that he left it hastily and dressed himself in the bedroom.

He heard the light steps in the kitchen just when he buttoned up his vest. When Jin looked up, he spotted Kame with the arms full of wood logs. Suddenly feeling something tense in his stomach, Jin directed his steps towards the kitchen slowly.

“Hey...” Jin murmured, not being able to get something more comprehend from himself.

“Good late morning to you too,” Kazuya straightened up from the stove.

A few moments passed in utter silence. Jin gulped down heavily.

How came that everything was so damn clear then and now he didn´t know what to say?

Kame brushed his hands over pants to get rid off of some invisible dirt from them and licked his dry lips. Those brown orbs were not goldish anymore, but they were still the very same eyes, which were so eager for Jin the previous night.

“Did you sleep well?” he asked, obviously attempting for a cheerful tone, but observing Jin´s face carefully.

“Perfectly,” Jin replied without thinking and it somehow broke what was tying up his movements till then. And he was able to smile, when he repaid the question. “You?”

A relieved smile brightened up also Kame´s face: “Like a baby.”

“Oh, really?” Jin moved towards to the other one. “You didn´t seem to me as a _baby_ in the evening.”

Kame chuckled and didn´t step back, when Jin stopped just centimeters before him.

“And what did I seem to you like then?”

“Hmm...” Jin raised his hand and grabbed the hem of Kazuya´s shirt to pull him closer. “Let´s see... Like an incredibly attractive bartender, I would say.”

The younger´s face flushed a little, which eased Jin up even more, almost forgetting the previous anxiety.

“That´s a nice compliment right in the morning,” Kazuya reacted softly.

“You deserve it,” Jin stated simply, keeping on playing with the cloth of a white shirt.

“So...” Kazuya hesitated, suddenly nervous. “You liked it then?”

Jin´s eyes went wide. Didn´t the younger one realize, just how much he was affected by what they did the last night?

“Is that really a question, Kazuya?” Jin asked in a deep voice.

Kame stared at his face blushing even more.

“Well... I... I thought...” he blabbered.

“I´m the one, who should ask that,” Jin interrupted him bluntly.

Kame opened his mouth and closed it again, sinking into the dark eyes, which were piercing him through.

“Did _you_ like it?” Jin continued, with his hand slipping around Kazuya´s waist on the back and leaning closer to him.

Kazuya took a shaky inhale, before he was able to reply.

“A lot,” he admitted quietly, his face heated up so much that Jin could feel its warmness. And it was finally what calmed that nervousness of his down.

“Good.”

Jin couldn´t prevent the stupid smile, which curved his lips; he almost felt like an idiot smiling that way, but he didn´t care because it seemed that Kame had the very same expression on.

“Are you hungry?” Kame asked.

“Like a wolf,” Jin informed him. “But I think you´re the only thing I´m hungry for at the moment, Kazuya.”

Ostentatiously, Kame crossed the hands across his chest.

“If you keep talking like this, we will starve to death, Jin,” he stated, but the playful lights were flickering in his eyes.

“Not that I would care,” Jin replied and joined his other hand in hugging the younger one.

“Come on...” Kame sighed.

“What?” Jin breathed out, already almost touching the other´s lips with his.

“What about we eat something finally?” Kazuya asked with his eyes half-closed.

“Of course... But this comes first...” Jin said and with pleasure he attached to the soft mouth, caressing both lips first, before he attacked it with his tongue, which met the defense of the other´s wet muscle and entangled them in a loving kiss.

Separating from each other, Kazuya´s fingers were already deep in Jin´s hair, while the older one´s hands strayed dangerously low on his back.

“Can we have breakfast now?” Kame breathed out through the narrow throat.

“Definitely,“ Jin nodded and let the younger one go slowly, because he realized Kame was right – if they had continued like that, they would have eaten nothing at all and his stomach would curse him to the death for that.


	49. Uninvited visitor

**D** uring his not very long, but the more exciting career at the United States Army, Captain John Walker had encountered many situations, which were difficult to judge. But he had never doubted his decisions during those moments; he could tell what was wrong or right according to the common social rules and laws, as well as according to his own conscience.

This was the first time John hesitated. It wasn´t any particular shock for him, when he had found out about the fiery destruction of the white farm. Raynold Karnaka was not any goody-goody; in fact he was the most hideous man the captain had met so far. Karnaka´s reputation of a cruel and rich slave-holder preceded him far and wide, and Walker knew of quite a few dead or missing people, who just might have been standing in the way of that man´s plans, despite nothing could have been proved. But nobody had the right to condemn Karnaka outside the law and burn him along with his whole mansion. That was not justice, but murder and arson to the top of it.

According to what Walker found out at the ugly crime scene, even some Karnaka´s gunmen were missing, not to mention many injured ones. Along with the house burnt down to the ground it was quite a lot of damage for one Indian attack. Or maybe it was not so Indians-related on the first place…

As John let his horse follow the route, which was described to him by married couple of Brice´s, he pondered if there was even a slightest chance that he could have found out the truth about the night ambush. It was very likely that either both youngsters had already escaped or they had left to the mountains, seeking a refugee at the remaining members of Blackfeet Tribe.

But there was still a possibility that the house a few miles away from the city would be occupied and the captain considered that eventuality worth of checking out. Especially, when it would have been quite dangerous to chase after them in the mountains, as the weather was getting worse with each day.

To John´s relief, it was not a problem to find that half-collapsed cottage. And as soon as his view was not blocked with the trees, he noticed he was probably right in his assumptions – there was a smoke coming out of the chimney. So somebody was definitely inside…

Captain Walker checked that his guns were ready in the convenient position under his coat and made his horse move forward, determined to put an end to that awful Karnaka-history at least, when it was not possible to do it with Math Grenet…

*

 

“We need to prepare more wood,” Kazuya assumed looking out through the small window, after he finished cleaning after their quite long breakfast. “It seems that this snowing won´t stop any time soon.”

Satisfied Jin, with his stomach pleasantly full, got up from the table, approaching the younger one.

“For such an awesome breakfast I´ll gladly help you with anything,” he stated firmly.

“I think that we were already so hungry, that you would enjoy _any_ food.”

“That´s not true,” Jin shook his head. “Just the one prepared by you...”

The brownish eyes focused on him: “Cheesy....” Kame teased Jin with an amused smile.

“Do you mind it?” the older one raised his eyebrows mockingly.

“No... It´s just unexpected from you.”

“It´s you who has such an influence on me,” Jin reacted, coming even closer and locking his arms around Kame´s form from behind.

Kazuya took a slow inhale and breathing out he leant against Jin, giving in to his capture.

“I have no reason to complain then...” the younger one said.

Jin put his chin on Kame´s shoulder, breathing in the faint scent of his hair. It took him a while to realize, that just being so close to the younger one was influencing his whole being in a way, which was almost terrifying.

One would thought, that when they had the chance to release some steam, and let all that accumulated tension get out, giving in to their desire after each other, that he would be able to stay calm in Kame´s presence. But to his surprise, the very opposite was the truth. Jin felt attracted to Kazuya even more than before. Now, when he knew the feeling, when he knew how damn awesome it was when he could have the younger one in that way he did, Kazuya turned out to be irresistible for Jin. He didn´t understand fully what was happening inside of him, but it felt so good, he didn´t care.

He strengthened his grip around the slim body and approached with his lips closer to Kame´s ear.

“I would feel offended if you had complaints,” he whispered.

Kame smiled and closed his eyes.

“This feels really nice, you know...” the words escaped the younger one´s lips with a content sigh.

“What about to make it even nicer?” Jin asked huskily, while his hands slipped lower on Kame´s hips.

The warm body in his arms shivered a little, which teased Jin´s inner longing even more.

“I´m all in... If you are willing to...” Kame said in a voice, which revealed his expectations.

“What do you think?” Jin asked back, heading with his right hand to the buttons of the younger´s trousers.

“I don´t know, will you tell me?” Kame replied a little teasingly.

Jin let his hand rest just above Kazuya´s crotch, and moved with his lips instead, to taste the skin of Kame´s neck.

“Do I really have to say something?” he reacted with just another question.

“Well... Maybe not,” Kame admitted in a strangled voice, when Jin´s fingers strayed even further down.

“I thought so...” Jin assumed.

Kame had a hard time to speak again coherently: “You know, I think we should not... continue in this... Jin...”

“You think?” the older one muffled against the soft skin, probing it with his tongue again.

“Stop...” Kame gasped for breath under the ministration. “Jin… Stop…” he repeated through the narrow throat more firmly.

“Right now?” Jin´s breath tickled against Kame´s cheek, while his teasing hand reached even lower. “Are you sure…?”

Kame´s cheeks were blushed and his breath kind of shaky, but his eyes were focused outside: “Seriously, wait… Somebody´s coming...”

“What?” Jin followed the younger´s stare.

Kazuya was right; there was a rider on the snowy driveway, in a blue uniform.

“Well, who might that be?” Jin grunted and very unwillingly let the younger one slip from his grip.

“He looks like Captain Walker,” Kame noted.

“He couldn´t have chosen a better timing,” the older one snorted annoyed.

“Hey… Behave, Jin. He might be here because of the farm,” he warned the older one.

“Yeah... Probably,” Jin murmured, still quite upset.

*

 

The hoof prints of the captain´s horse were the only tracks in the untouched white surface of the driveway and courtyard. It seemed that nobody left the house since the heavy snowfall had started. The building itself was quite old and at the first look almost uninhabitable.

John reached the veranda without any railing and dismounted his horse, just when the front door opened with a sharp creak. Determined, he turned to face the youngster with yellow brown hair, who appeared outside.

“Captain Walker, what an unexpected visit…” the owner of the house welcomed him.

“Kamenashi…” Walker touched the brim of his hat to repay the greeting. “I´m sorry for appearing so suddenly, but I have a really urgent matter to discuss with you,” he said sternly.

“Of course, come in, Captain.”

The soldier stepped up onto the veranda, following Kamenashi´s lead.

“By any chance, don´t you know where Akanishi is?” Walker asked carefully, when he entered the house right behind its owner.

“Well, I do,” Kamenashi confirmed calmly. “He´s here with me.”

Somehow, it didn´t surprise Walker to hear the information, more like he was really glad that he wouldn´t have to search for the older one all around.

“Great. I need to discuss this with him as well…”

*

 

All three men settled in the warm kitchen with the cups of hot tea at the table, while Jin was somewhat sulking on his chair in the corner, Captain Walker was sitting on the other one, his hat and coat hanging on the hanger and Kame remained standing, leaning over the kitchen desk and observing the gloomy face of the surprising guest.

“So, what brings you here, Captain?” Kamenashi asked in a serious tone, suspecting the troublesome conversation.

“Well… First of all…” the captain´s sharp glance focused on the younger one. “I´m surprised I did find you here; I thought you were planning to help the rest of Blackfeet Tribe to move out, didn´t you?”

“That´s true,” Kame nodded. “I need to gather some supplies and stuff for them and I also wanted to put this house into some order for the winter season first. As my house in the city burnt down, I have no other home now…” he explained slowly.

“I understand that,” Walker admitted. “Does it mean that you spent the last few days here?”

“We both did,” Jin stated curtly, before Kame could have reacted and Walker´s suspicious glance moved to the older guy. “Why do you ask, Walker?”

“So, you haven´t heard about what happened at Karnaka´s farm the previous night?” Captain Walker raised a question, which both Kame and Jin expected since they had spotted the uniformed man.

“What do you mean?” the younger one asked.

“There was a night ambush; the farm was burnt down to the ground, four or maybe six men were killed,” Walker stated shortly. “Raynold Karnaka perished in the fire as well. Do you know anything about it?”

“No.”

That response came out from two mouths at the exactly same moment. Walker noticed the short glance, which two youngsters exchanged and with a deep sigh he made himself more comfortable in his seat, even though his mind got even heavier than till that moment.

“You don´t seem very surprised though...” he suggested.

“If that old bastard is dead, I´m only happy about it,” Akanishi made his attitude quite clear right away.

“That´s a rough statement…” Walker noted in a cold tone.

“I suppose you don´t expect me to talk about Karnaka nicely, Captain,” the young gunslinger snapped back, earning a warning look from Kamenashi.

John Walker frowned at that reaction, still hesitating about how he should handle with what he knew.

“Do they know who did it?” the younger one asked him stiffly.

“Karnaka´s employees described a small group of Indians…” Walker answered slowly.

“Why do you bother _us_ with it then?” Jin smirked.

Right at that moment, the captain decided to confront them directly.

“Because three Karnaka´s gunmen denounced spotting two white young men on the scene,” he reacted sharply. “And both of you had many reasons for seeking revenge against Karnaka.”

Akanishi and Kamenashi repaid his glance unmoved.

“Do you accuse us?” the younger of the two asked straight away.

“Did you do it?” Walker snapped at them, not able to keep calm anymore.

“No…” Kame reacted slowly. “We didn´t set Karnaka´s farm on fire.”

Captain stared at the younger one, trying to figure out the truth behind his words, because he felt that Kamenashi didn´t lie in that sentence. Akanishi kept silent, he was just staring at him from his corner with a quite annoyed expression on his face.

Taking a deep breath, Walker suddenly realized, what the former bartender meant by his statement. They didn´t _set up the fire_ , because their Indian friends did it. They did something else. Walker couldn´t be sure about it, but he assumed that Karnaka´s death was their doing. But could he blame them about it?

Raynold Karnaka clearly destroyed both of their families and much more. That man let the whole Indian tribe, with which Kamenashi was involved, exterminate in such a cruel way, that even Walker felt sick about it. And as came to Akanishi, the young gunslinger obviously went through his portion of suffering on the farm, despite neither of the two had revealed the truth about his recent injuries.

Could he blame them that they had taken justice into their hands in this case and literally prevented that cruel haughty man from hurting anyone else? Just remembering what happened, when they had relied on the law and it led to Grenet escaping the prison, made Walker understand their attitude fully.

But on the other hand, he was a man representing the government of the United States; he was supposed to be a shining example of the one, who follows the laws, which were valid for everyone.

Captain was forced to face a difficult decision: Can he let Akanishi and Kamenashi get away with this?

There were other forms of justice, and it was truth that some of them couldn´t have been achieved from his position. But the two of them had that chance, and Walker would have been lying to himself, if he had said that he was not actually _relieved_ hearing about the death of infamous Karnaka.

Both youngsters were observing him tensely, as Walker stood up and approached the window, looking at the white scenery behind the greyish glass for a while and trying to put his thoughts into some order. When John turned his attention back to them, they were still quietly watching him.

“All right… Let´s say you were not involved,” the captain stated in a much calmer voice. “Do you have any idea, who might have done it? What about the rest of Blackfeet Tribe? How many of them survived?”

“Just women and children, Captain,” Kame reacted seriously. “Then also two boys and old Shaman. There´re no warriors left; I´ve told you so before…”

“I seriously doubt those kids can even loose off an arrow,” Jin added his opinion sarcastically.

Walker decided to ignore the older one´s offensive tone.

“Any other Indian tribes then? Who else might have been focused on Karnaka´s farm?”

“I´m afraid we cannot help you in this, Captain,” Kame stated slowly and very decisively.

Walker gazed at both of them seriously.

“Look… Raynold Karnaka was a famous and powerful man. I´ve already reported this incident to my superiors. Some investigators from the U.S. Marshals´ office will be sent here to find out the culprits. Moreover, we have to face an issue of many unemployed black servants and also his former gunmen are quite pissed. This cannot be taken lightly.”

“We understand that, Captain,” Kamenashi reacted again. “And I´m sorry for your troubles, but there is nothing more we can do for you.”

Walker repaid the younger´s serious look for a while. Then he had a fierce eye-battle with Akanishi. Suddenly, he had a feeling that the conclusion of this conversation was decided even before he stepped inside Kamenashi´s house…

“Fine then…” he said in a strangely calm voice. “There´s nothing more I needed to discuss with you, so… I´ll rather go…”

John gathered his clothes and headed to the exit with both Kamenashi and Akanishi following his steps.

“Captain? I´m _really_ sorry…” the younger one spoke, when Walker walked through the door.

John Walker turned once again to see a troubled face in the door; with frowning Akanishi appearing right behind it. And something urged him to say more, as from some reason he really wanted to part with these guys in a good way.

“Listen…” the captain stepped a little closer. “I will be completely open with you. No matter what you say, the word had already spread around Bozeman, with the unemployed gunmen supporting it quite willingly. They say that you two coupled with the Indians and attacked the farm. Some even call for you to be arrested.”

Both Akanishi and Kamenashi repaid Walker´s serious stare a little worriedly now, but kept silent.

“There is no proof against you except some unclear statements of unreliable gunmen, who are more like criminals themselves. So I said that I would go to hear you out and that´s it. But if you show up in the city… be really careful, both of you. There might be some, who will not trust my judgement and you can easily end up in a quite unpleasant situation.”

“Are you implying somebody specific, Captain?” Kamenashi asked carefully.

“Well… I have to say that I wasn´t really fond of that servant Karnaka had… Cameron was his name, I think,” Walker revealed what bothered him a lot.

“We remember him more than well,” Akanishi said not very thrilled either.

“He was there, when I arrived to the farm, or to what was left of it,” the captain explained. “He didn´t blame you two, not directly, but he seems to be capable of anything to avenge his later master.”

“Not to mention that Grenet is still on the run, right?” Jin reminded not very calming bonus of the whole situation.

“That´s unfortunately true... And this man doesn´t exactly love you two either,” Walker agreed seriously. “Honestly… I think it´s a good idea for you to go and help out the Blackfeet Tribe. You know, just to retreat for a while, before the things will calm down a little.”

Both youngsters stared at him obviously surprised by his attitude.

“Thank you, Captain Walker,” Kame nodded his head gratefully in the end. “We appreciate your warning, really.”

“Well… I just hope I won´t regret it…” the military leader reacted in a tone, which made his statement sound as if it was related to something else. “Take care, you two. And avoid the troubles…”

“We will try,” Kame was the one to reply again. Then he accepted Walker´s right hand for a parting greeting and the captain did the same with older one´s hand too.

John Walker left the veranda, mounted his waiting horse again, greeted both guys in his typical way, and set off towards the woods, before he could have changed his mind...

*

 

“Well… That was definitely an interesting twist in the conversation,” Jin stated, as they watched the blue uniform disappearing between the trees.

Kame seemed to be quite thoughtful about Walker´s behaviour as well.

“I hoped for his understanding, but I really didn´t expect him to be so considerable…” the younger one stated.

“He definitely surprised me too...”

“It´s good to have people like him around.”

“It´s just a shame there is so little of them…” the older one reacted a little pessimistically. “So… What do you think? Should we check on the situation in Bozeman ourselves?”

“Yeah, I think we really should…” Kazuya nodded seriously. “We need some supplies before we go to the tribe anyway….” then he stiffened a little and turned to Jin, who was standing just behind him, still with the deep frown darkening his handsome face. “Well, in case that you want to go with me…”

The dark orbs focused on Kame with surprise: “Where else do you think I´d like to go to?” Jin asked a little offended.

“Well, chasing after Grenet for example…” Kame suggested.

Jin stared at the younger one amazed by the fact how many thoughts were going through his mind.

“I won´t deny I thought about it…” he said slowly.

“Me too,” Kazuya admitted gloomily. Grenet was the one responsible for his mother´s death and for torturing Jin, so it was no wonder the man´s presence was still on their minds. “But I want to help Liwan and the others first…. And then…”

“Then Grenet should pay for what he had done as well as Karnaka, right?” Jin completed him.

The younger one nodded slowly: “I don´t like an idea he´s out there somewhere, capable of appearing out of the blue anytime.”

“I know what you mean, Kame,” Jin reacted heavily. “I feel anxious every time I remember him…”

In a short silence, which followed that statement, Kazuya made a small step closer, reached out his hand and squeezed Jin´s shoulder wordlessly.

“If a bullet in his head is necessary for that bastard to leave us alone, I´m more than willing to do that,” the older one said with his eyes dark.

Kame observed his expression closely, gathering courage to ask for the assurance he needed: “So… Will you...?”

“Your Indian friends come first,” Jin assured him right away. “We can deal with that piece of shit later; I doubt he would appear here anytime soon.”

“All right,” Kame reacted with relief. He wouldn´t have been able to bear it if Jin had rushed on another path of revenge, alone. “We should pack up then. There are many hours of daylight left, we can get to the city still within today.”

Jin´s face prolonged in disappointment: “ _Today_? So soon?” he complained, while Kame went around him back inside the house.

“Well… I promised Liwan to come as soon as possible and this winter won´t get any better now,” the younger one reacted, entering the kitchen.

“Aah, right…”

Kame glanced at Jin, who sat down on his chair in the corner, kind of sulking again.

“Why are you so upset?” he asked, after he added some wood into the stove.

“It´s nothing,” Jin murmured.

Kame´s eyes narrowed suspiciously. He went closer to the other´s chair and sat on the edge of the table: “Jin,” he emphasized his name, waiting for a proper answer.

“Well, there will be people...” the older one stated reluctantly.

Kame raised his eyebrows: “Of course, there will be. What about it?”

“I just thought that… That we can have… You know…” the words were coming out from Jin so slowly, that Kame got impatient. “More time alone,” Jin revealed his thoughts finally.

The younger one got surprised at first, but then such a beautiful smile brightened up his face, that just the sight of it made Jin´s heart beat faster.

“Well… To be honest, I like the idea of staying here too, Jin…” Kazuya announced with his eyes sparkling. “But…”

“But you´re not that selfish,” Jin finished the sentence instead. “I know that. You always think of others…”

Jin knew that it would have been more than stupid from him to insist on staying, when there were still things they had to deal with. No matter how much he would have liked to continue, what they had just started, there was that urge to deal with the certain issues inside of him too...

It felt so nice just to sit with Kame at one table, drinking tea and having no other worries than how to get water and some firewood. It was just too nice to last long...

Jin´s statement made Kame foolishly happy. He didn´t want to rush and leave their cosy place, which felt almost like a home now, either. It was not fair that they could have spent only such a short time here... There was always something to drag them back to the harsh reality.

Kazuya was looking at Jin´s lowered head, thinking about how nice it would have been to spend another night with him in the bed… Here, in this old house, full of childhood memories, far away from the city and from all the troubles... But he couldn´t make himself to give in to that temptation; his conscience wouldn´t let him at peace.

“I´m sorry, Jin…” Kame breathed out heavily. “I just can´t...”

“Oh, come on, you don´t have to be, Kazuya!” the dark eyes focused on the younger one, when Jin interrupted him. “This is who _you are_! And it´s also why I… why I like you.”

Something really warm flooded Kazuya hearing the words. He leant his head down and he didn´t even have to go the whole way towards the intended goal, as Jin´s lips came forward to meet his. It was a slow tender kiss, which brought the hundreds of butterflies into their stomachs and made them feel kind of dizzy.

They remained close with their eyes closed even after their lips separated.

Kame felt his hands trembling a little, even though they held on the edge of the table firmly. Those feelings flooding his whole being every time Jin kissed him were so intense... It made him wonder if it was the same for the older one, or it was just him to be influenced so much.

Jin felt Kazuya´s warm breath tickling his face and savoured on the effect of their kiss. He was such a fool to fight against that attraction before. At the moment he couldn´t have imagined to feel better with anyone else.

“We should pack up, right?” Jin suggested, breaking the thick silence.

“Yeah…” Kame confirmed almost whispering.

On the contrary of what they said, their lips reunited again in a more passionate kiss. Kazuya slipped off the table, somehow ending up sitting on Jin´s knees, and buried the fingers of both hands into older one´s hair, while Jin´s arms wrapped around his waist possessively.

This time it was a harder task to separate from each other, and they ended up with the breath squeezed in their lungs.

“You know…” Jin breathed out heavily. “We really _should_ go to pack up… Before I won´t be willing to let you go…”

Kazuya nodded wordlessly, realizing the forthcoming end of their self-control as well; and he had to literally force himself to leave the comfort of Jin´s lap. He would have never thought that something like that could have been so difficult...


	50. Wanted

**T** he further a small group of fully armed riders proceeded away from the shadow of the Rocky Mountains, the less harsh weather conditions they had to bear. The falling snowflakes were still persistent, but not so overwhelming as before and even the gusts of ice-cold wind calmed down a bit. Though, it didn´t mean their journey was less dangerous.

On their way to the Forth Collins they were supposed to pass through the milestone of Crow and Cheyenne Indians territories. Even though the reservation for red skins from Crow Tribes was founded almost twenty years ago already, they were still hunting in the mountain ranges around the country freely. Not to mention scattered Cheyenne´s Indians, who were still quite an annoying issue to deal with. They refused to settle down at the proposed location, no matter how many bloody lessons they were taught.

Math Grenet was sure that it was only a question of time, before the Indians would surrender finally. But currently, there was no place where they could be properly controlled and it was highly possible that those crazy savages would like to get their white scalps, if they encountered them.

Their group was slowly approaching the borders of Montana with Wyoming and so far there wasn´t any serious incident, which was actually kind of boring. Math thought that he would have even welcomed an opportunity to kick a couple of red skins´ asses, just to get frustration and anger out of his system. And that damn strong freezing, which was bothering them instead of snow, didn´t improve his mood at all. His dear companions had to cope with the same conditions and they definitely complained about it every ten minutes, but none of them had the reason to be as angry as Math was.

 _I should have expected that my dear boss would like to enjoy all the best fun himself,_ Grenet was pondering in silent fury, as they rode through the narrow valley.

That pain-in-the-ass Cameron didn´t come back to Livingstone with the permission for him to deal with those two annoying boys as Math had believed; the total opposite was the truth. The old man´s servant brought a fucking escort for him instead, moreover without Brad, and with the order for him to leave right away.

Grenet was so eager to make those two, who had caused him so many troubles, to suffer, but he was not crazy enough to go against Karnaka´s orders, at least not for that moment. So he obeyed, and set off on the long journey to Colorado. But the desire for payback to Akanishi and Kamenashi didn´t leave him even for a minute. And he was sure he would get what he wanted once; he _always_ did. Speaking about what he wanted… Grenet´s glance pierced the back of a boy riding in front of him – Danny. He was always so damn active, willing to fulfil any of his wishes.

 _That naive boy probably considers me to be his idol, or something_ , Math smirked.

Danny was thrilled to accompany him on the road, not like the other three, including Marty, who seemed to be quite annoyed with the fact they were chosen for this mission. Unfortunately, neither of them was willing to go against Karnaka and also they had Math´s revolvers, which he was not supposed to get back until the borders with Colorado.

 _Well, screw it…_ Math decided not to let it bother him anymore. _I will handle this situation somehow…_ There was a job waiting for him down in Colorado, which was supposed to earn him quite a lot and till the moment he would be able to enjoy both ´Nashi´s´… _There is always some other fun available, isn´t it?_ Grenet thought, with a calculative look focused on Danny´s bottom shifting in the saddle.

***

 

The charred remains of the rich farm seemed to be even darker on the background of white hills, as the mountains were gradually consumed with the growing layer of snow blanket. The other buildings around - stalls, barn and slaves´ huts - remained almost untouched by the furious fire, which only underlined the huge empty space in the middle of the fortress.

Cameron was watching over four sturdy slaves fighting with the frozen ground, as they were trying to cover the last from those six graves with hard soil.

There was almost nobody left on the property. Half of the slaves ran off after the first night, then some guards raided the supplies, which were gathered outside the main house during the second day and most of them left as well, not paying even a little of attention to Cameron´s protest. The rest of the slaves were too afraid to leave, and some of the former Karnaka´s subordinates had nowhere to go, so they settled in the remaining buildings, drinking up all what was left and hopelessly discussing what to do.

It was good that at least some of them stayed; Cameron wouldn´t have been able to regain the human remains from the black debris and bury them alone. But this was his last task on this ground – to make sure that his master would be buried properly. Till that moment he could pretend that he actually cared about what was going to happen with these people, but he didn´t give a damn. He had already packed up all of his belongings, which were left, and he was more than ready to leave his destroyed home, already decided where to go.

Cameron would have bet his leg that this black mess was a work of those two young cocky bastards. And he also knew that his master would have never let them go, before they would have paid for each piece of furniture, which got destroyed in the fire. The man felt it deep inside his heart, as a burning urge to stop the heartbeat of both boys. But they _had to_ suffer before that and he couldn´t accomplish that alone.

As Karnaka´s right hand, he was more than capable of killing them within a blink of eye, but that would have been too easy for them. No, Cam intended to make Hell from their lives and he was patient. He had realized that the best option would be to join forces with the person, who was sent off to the Forth Collins. Math Grenet had tons of reasons to hate both Akanishi and Kamenashi and even though it was hard to control him, the gunman could be quite creative and very useful for Cameron´s intentions.

So, the servant, who had just lost his precious job, was determined to saddle his horse as soon as the last cross was put into the ground. And with the blessing of his lord, he would avenge his death, in such a way it would have satisfied Mr. Raynold Karnaka, no matter how long it would take.

Cameron let his eyes focus on the biggest wooden cross, making a silent vow… _I will let those murderers live for now. I will let them think they are safe, and when they will expect it the less, I will strike and crush them down like ants_ …

*

When Ned straightened up for a while, to give his aching back a rest from the exhausting battle with the soil, to his shock he noticed that despite the gloomy task they were performing, Mr. Cameron was smiling. And it was a damn scary smile, which brought creeps on Ned´s skin.

***

 

The woods were silent, the cracks between the rocks full of mysterious whispers and the surface of the Flathead Lake was shivering in expectation of the upcoming freezing, which was supposed to hide the deep dark waters for at least a month.

Liwan was standing motionless in the entrance of their secret cave above the destroyed village. The pleasant warmness was stretching its fingers towards him from the back, while the sharp wind and freezing was attacking his face.

The young Indian felt it clearly; the nature was telling it to him with all its sources – they couldn´t stay there for long anymore. It was time to leave before the really harsh part of the winter would come. Otherwise it was highly probable that none of them would survive the journey to the north, not with all those kids and women.

Liwan was worried, his father even more than himself and the others were already impatient. But he promised to wait and he was willing to keep that promise. He knew that his young white brother would come soon. Kazuya was not the one to give up on them… Not ever.

The troubled red man gave the last glance to the cold view, begging the nature for a little more time and patience yet and returned back inside the cave, from where his sister was already calling him for dinner.

***

 

Late in that afternoon the delayed post-chaise arrived to the city; the last one before the postal service was going to be stopped temporarily for the winter season. The carriage was supposed to be replaced with the postman-rider, who was able to overcome impassable roads between the northern towns even during the heavy snowfalls.

And exactly that last coach, which was pulled by four exhausted horses, brought some very important news, which none of the two youngsters, who were heading towards the Bozeman City in quite a good mood right in that moment, had expected...

*

One of Walker´s last three remaining subordinates knocked at the door of Sheriff´s Office politely, before going in and handing over the important package, which was delivered from the nearest military fortress, right into the captain´s hands.

“We´ve received some information about these men by telegram two days ago, Captain,” the soldier noted. “But the posters arrived only today...”

“Thank you, Lieutenant,” John Walker nodded, not even glancing at the papers and continued reading through the testimonies of the gunmen´s from Karnaka´s farm. That whole issue with the fire brought him quite a headache, as he was supposed to report it to his superiors shortly and he still didn´t know, how to explain it in the most convenient way.

“Well, I think you should really look at them, Captain…” the other man made a careful remark.

“What? Why?” hearing the urgent tone of his subordinate Walker raised his head.

“Just look at it,” the lieutenant pointed at the package of posters with the currently wanted villains.

Quite tired Walker noticed that his subordinate was very serious, so he gulped down a sharp response to remind the man his position and grabbed the papers instead.

He scanned through all of them frowning. That package meant only more troubles; the number of criminals had increased again, which was not exactly surprising. Most of them were of the usual kind, nothing extraordinary, but almost in the end there was one poster, which attracted Captain´s attention with the very high reward for the criminal´s head. And his eyes widened in surprise glancing at the portrait…

“What the hell…” Captain breathed out, staring at that face in shock.

*

The taproom in Harada´s Saloon was full almost to the last seat.

Harada behind the bar didn´t have a single moment for his regular cigarette, while Miss McBain was dancing around the tables, serving a lot of plates with dinner. The place was occupied with former Karnaka´s subordinates, but also with jobless cowboys and even some black faces appeared, who definitely used to serve on the destroyed farm. Not to mention half of the citizens, eager to share the latest news.

All of these guests were hungry and thirsty and despite that it was supposed to bring very good earnings; it formed the concerned wrinkles in Harada´s face instead. He could have only hoped that all of those men with bottomless pits instead of stomachs had something to pay for their spending with. In other case he would have probably started to shoot some heads off and then made the survivors to pay for everything.

A lot of recent crazy happenings were discussed at all tables, so the taproom was very noisy and full of smoke. Harada even cancelled the dancing evening and called off Sukina´s whores. Nobody thought about such a wassail, when there was the death of their Sherriff, the escaped arsonist – formerly Sheriff´s deputy, the wiped-out Indian tribe and burnt-out Karnaka´s farm. No mouth stayed closed for long; all guests and citizens standing around the windows and bar counter were chatting over and over. Only recently so calm city was roaring with the sudden and horrific events.

Harada was focused on providing more and more tankards of beer and shots, quite relieved that he had made sufficient supplies in advance, so he didn´t notice what caused the sudden decrease of excited voices at first. But it felt so tense and strange, that it made him raise his head, recognizing two figures at the door, which were the reason for many people to shut up.

Both young arrivals in warm coats glanced around the suspiciously quiet taproom, but not giving out any sign of concern, they headed towards the bar, where they settled on the last free stools.

Harada suppressed the smile, which was about to appear on his lips, and made two casual steps approaching them, while wiping his hands into the towel.

“Welcome, gentlemen…” he said loudly, not caring about many stares, which were focused on the two of them now. “Can I offer you some hot wine for a start?”

“Good evening, Mr. Harada,” Kame greeted him politely, as always, while Akanishi just nodded his head. “That would be great, thank you.”

“It´s damn freezing out there,” Akanishi murmured complaining.

“So, so….” Harada agreed, giving a signal to Miss McBain. “It seems this winter will be hard.”

The chipper Miss returned from the kitchen in no time, bringing the huge pot and poured the hot liquid into two mugs, which were prepared by Harada. She was smiling at both youngsters so widely, it surprised them.

“Harada, that´s on me,” one of the men sitting at the bar pointed at their drinks.

That statement shocked them even more. Both Kame and Jin glanced in the direction of the familiar voice.

“Sure, Mister,” Harada nodded, as if it was nothing unexpected.

“Well, thanks…” Akanishi looked at the man suspiciously, before he realized it was Mr. Brice.

“You´re welcome,” the man nodded his head and repaid Kame´s wordless greeting.

They both sipped on the wine carefully. It was sweet and great for their frozen bodies after the cold trip to the city. They didn´t even manage to place the empty mugs back on the counter, when there was a firm grip on their shoulders.

“And when we´re at it, the next shots for these two are _on me_ , Harada.”

“Doctor Best!” Kame turned to the man, who approached them from behind.

“Welcome back, boys, I was almost worried you wouldn´t show up…” the doctor winked at them.

“Well, we need some supplies….” Kame was obviously confused. “But… What is this for?”

“Nothing, really, just enjoy your drinks,” Best smiled at them and then rushed after Miss McBain to ask for some dinner, while Kame and Jin exchanged the equally confused looks.

The excited conversations came almost back to normal soon; just the tables occupied with former Karnaka´s employees were quiet and the gunmen kept sending quite hostile stares towards the newcomers.

Jin and Kame received two more drinks on somebody else´s account and in the end they were literally forced to sit at the suddenly free table in the corner. They were totally lost on what was going on, but nobody seemed to be willing to tell them a proper reason for this treatment.

When all the attention was finally not focused on them anymore, Kame stopped Miss McBain, who came for their empty plates.

“Miss McBain, what is this all about?” Kazuya asked whispering. “Are we missing something?”

The cook leant towards him familiarly: “Let´s say that some of us want to thank you,” she said with a conspiratorial wink.

“But we didn´t do anything to…”

“Oh, of course, we know,” Miss interrupted Kame immediately. “You _didn´t_. Just take it as it is, boys…” she smiled at them again.

Kame watched her leaving dumb-founded, before leaning over the table towards Jin.

“Do you think, they figured out that we…” he suggested slowly.

“Do you have any other explanation?” Jin reacted quietly.

“Not really… It´s true that Karnaka was not exactly the favourite fellow around, but if they really believe we´re behind that fire…” Kazuya lowered his voice carefully. “I´d have never expected such a reaction…”

“Neither I,” the older one agreed.

“But it´s… nice,” Kame assumed after a while.

“Definitely,” Jin grinned at him.

Somehow much calmer and satisfied they intended to continue with their drinks, when a figure in blue uniform approached them.

“Well, the least whom I expected here are you two…”

Both youngsters turned to face obviously concerned Captain Walker.

“Good evening, Captain… Well, we just wanted to show that we have no reason to hide,” Kame stated with a friendly smile.

Walker took his hat off with a heavy sigh: “That was… A good idea, actually, as I see…” he appreciated the long row of empty glasses on their table.

“Definitely,” Jin repeated his favourite word for that evening, finishing his beer.

“Since you´re here… Do you mind if I join you?” Captain asked.

“Of course!” the older one swiftly jumped up on his feet and with an apologetic smile he stole the chair from the nearby table. “Here, sit down. What would you like to drink?”

“I don´t…” already sitting Walker tried to object.

“Don´t drag out that stupid excuse with ´no drinking on the duty´, Captain,” Jin interrupted him firmly. “Only exceptionally, on my account. So?”

“Whiskey, then…” Captain gave up on the objections.

“Great choice!” Jin appreciated. “Harada…!”

“You don´t have to shout at the whole taproom, I´m already here,” the saloon´s owner snapped at the cheerful guy. “Captain Walker! So you give in today, finally?” he asked with a satisfied smirk, pouring in three shots for them.

“This is just an exception,” Walker insisted strictly.

“Of course, and right after this one, you will make another,” Akanishi assured him with a knowing smile.

“Jin…” Kame focused a little scolding look at his companion. “Be nice to Captain, he doesn´t deserve your mocking.”

The older one made a pouting expression, making Kame almost burst out laughing aloud. It was great to see Jin in such a good mood. Only Captain Walker seemed to be bothered as he shook his head sadly, after Harada left for the counter again.

“Actually, Akanishi might be right. I think I will need another one today…” and he drank his glass in one go, not even waiting for a toast. “But not the third one, since I have to leave tomorrow...”

Both young men focused on the gloomy man a little confused, but they didn´t have to wait long before Walker explained himself more than clearly.

“You need to see something, Akanishi,” the captain stated in a heavy tone and reached inside his coat, pulling out some folded paper. “This arrived today with the last post-coach…”

Frowning Jin was observing Walker´s hands, as they were unfolding the big heavy paper and Kame had a bad hunch about it. And when the captain handed the poster over to Jin and Kazuya saw how the older one´s expression stiffened and how his eyes got wide and skin pale, he was immediately extremely sorry that they didn´t stay in his house. Didn´t they deserve to feel happy for a little longer time? Obviously not...

Jin´s fingers were clutching the paper, bending it a little, still staring motionless at it.

“Jin?” Kame approached to him quietly. “What is it?”

The other one didn´t say a word, he just handed the paper over the table to Kame. The younger one had already assumed that it was a wanted poster, that kind of notices, which announced the most dangerous gunmen of the Wild West, thieves and murderers, along with the reward for their capture, usually dead or alive. With the ´dead´ coming as the first choice, of course. But what squeezed Kazuya´s breath in his lungs was the printed out picture with the face of this villain.

At first second Kame thought he was looking at Jin, before he realized that it was not his handsome lover, but only somebody who resembled him a lot and moreover a few years younger. Only then he was able to focus on the letters too, reading them hastily...

 

**WANTED**

**DEAD OR ALIVE**

**LEO AKANISHI**

FOR MURDER OF SIX PEOPLE

LEADER OF BLACK RIDERS

LASTLY SPOTTED IN COLORADO TERRITORY

**$ 3 200 REWARD**

Contact nearest U.S. Marshals office

 

Shocked Kame raised his eyes from the poster to meet Jin´s dark look. Then, in a hoarse whisper, the older one confirmed, what was quite obvious: “He is my brother…”

 


	51. One day

**I** t was just one piece of a quite ugly paper… But it was more than enough for completely spoiling their so far great mood and also turning their plans upside down.

While going up the stairs to the top floor of the building, Kame was gloomily wondering if it was some kind of punishment for what they did, or just a bad coincidence. After all those difficult days and emotional ups and downs, they managed to rest for just one day before another problem to deal with came up.

The door of the last room in the corridor, the same one to which Kame led the young stranger just three months ago, was half-open. He pushed them with his leg, as his hands were busy with the mugs of hot tea and went inside.

The belongings of the handsome gunslinger were scattered all around the room, while Jin himself was standing at the window with a cigarette in his hand, staring out into the cold darkness.

Kame put both mugs down at the small night stand and approached the older one. He noticed that at least half of the cigarette was still unused and almost burnt out to the ashes; Jin obviously didn´t pay much attention to smoking. Kame pulled that smelly thing off the slack fingers and doused it over the parapet, before he closed the window to prevent any more cold air from going inside.

Only then he repaid Jin´s glance, which revealed that the older one was probably in a much worse mood than himself. Without saying a word, Jin turned and collapsed onto the bed, where he leant over the wall.

Kazuya closed the door first, before he took his mug and sat down on the edge of the bed slowly. He wanted to talk, but somehow he didn´t find the courage to break the silence, which was trying to suffocate them. Only Jin did find it.

“It´s my brother, Kame…” the older one said a little hoarsely. “I haven´t seen him for two years, but he´s still my family. With that high reward, there will be the bounty hunters coming after him all the time. But I don´t believe he did it… I just can´t believe he´d become a murderer. He´s not that kind of person,” Jin took a deep breath. “I need to know the truth. I can´t let this go…”

Kazuya raised his look slowly, to meet with the dark orbs: “I understand, Jin. You don´t have to explain,” he assured the older one.

It took a while, before Jin spoke again with a serious expression.

“I will not ask you to leave everything you know,” the words came out his full lips quietly. “I will not. Even though I want you to come with me.”

It felt so nice to hear it. Nice, but painful at the same moment... Kazuya had to take some time to put the words in the right order to explain what was on his mind.

“And I _would_ go, Jin,” he reacted softly. “There is nothing to hold me back in this city anymore. I don´t think I would ever leave on my own, without a reason, but with you… With you I would.”

Kame let his heart say those words; he would not hesitate even for a minute to leave Bozeman and go with Jin to search after his brother. Only if… Only if...

“But…” he continued heavily. “That I could do only if not being for…”

“For Liwan and the others,” Jin finished the sentence instead of the younger one knowingly.

Kame nodded, suddenly not being able to repay the glance of those eyes and focused on his tea.

“I understand that too, Kazuya…” Jin´s voice sounded sorrowful, but determined at the same moment.

“So… That means that…” Kame couldn´t force himself to say it aloud.

“I´m going to leave with Walker in the morning,” Jin made himself spill the information out fast, hoping that not prolonging it would hurt less. Well, he was wrong – seeing the expression on Kazuya´s face hurt anyway.

“I thought so…” the younger one sighed.

Captain Walker was ordered by his superiors to leave to Colorado, to help the local Marshals to deal with the Black Riders. He told them about it down in the taproom, asking Jin for any information that might have helped him with the new task, which the older one naturally didn´t give away...

“I hope it will be easier to find Leo if I cooperate with them for now,” Jin stated, reaching for his tea and gulping it down hastily, as if he wanted to keep the words down in his throat.

“Yeah, I think so too…” Kame agreed with a heavy heart. “I will leave tomorrow as well then. I bet Liwan is already expecting me.”

A deep silence followed.

“I hate this,” Jin snorted suddenly, really upset, and hit over the night stand with the empty mug.

Kame knew so well what the other one meant. He was not the type to complain about the whims of fate, but this… This was really unfair to them. Why they had to separate from each other right now? So soon after… After they finally let go of all prejudices and doubts?

“Me too…” the younger one almost whispered and put his rest of the tea aside on the floor. Suddenly, he had no taste for anything…

 

Just the idea of being separated from the younger one made Jin mad. After everything they went through, after they finally crossed all the borders, they have to go different ways?

But there was no escape from it. Jin just couldn´t stay still knowing his brother was in that dangerous position. He was his only family left, his younger brother, and he still felt guilty for not caring more before, for letting him run off and join the Riders. He had to go after him, find him and finally beat some senses into that boy. But that meant leaving Kame behind… Because the younger one was the same in this. He wouldn´t have ever left his only family like that, not after those horrible happenings. Kame was determined to help the survivors of Blackfeet Tribe, as well as Jin was eager to find Leo. And they had to deal with it somehow...

Jin raised his eyes in the same moment as Kazuya. They were numb for a while, just looking at each other knowing, that the other one was equally desperate about the turn of events.

As Jin sunk into those so sad and again so incredibly yellow eyes, at that moment he didn´t feel any regret coming into the Bozeman City, no matter everything painful and awful what had happened since then. Meeting up with Kazuya was worth of any troubles he had been through. He was not able to imagine the situation, when he wouldn´t have met this beautiful and brave and honest guy. That he wouldn´t get to know him, he would never ever kissed him… And he also felt that he _had to_ see Kazuya again, no matter what.

The younger´s lips moved slowly, as he wanted to say something, but Jin was the first: “I will come back,” he stated in a scratchy but firm voice. “As soon as I kick the ass of my stupid little brother, I will come back, Kazuya.”

Kame stared at the older one for a while, nicely surprised by his attitude, before he shook his head slowly.

“I have a better idea,” the younger one stated, shifting on the bed a little, so that he could face Jin directly. “That poster said that your brother was lastly spotted in Colorado, right? So you will be heading there first, I suppose.”

Jin nodded, a little confused about Kame´s refusal of his proposal, but soon it was clear what was on the younger´s mind.

“It will take a while before you even get there and I bet that finding him will not be a question of a few days either. But it will not take longer than two maybe three weeks before the rest of the tribe will move to the north reservation. And once they will be settled there, I will follow you,” Kame stated with the determined shine in his eyes.

His words flooded Jin with something pleasantly warm, what made him somewhat happy, but he was not able to name it. But on the other hand, there were more than enough reasons for him to be worried about that possibility.

“Are you sure?” he asked uncertainly. “It will be dangerous if you travel alone such a long journey…”

Kame smiled at him confidently: “I´ve already managed worse winters than this one, believe me. I will be fine. I want to help you, Jin.”

Not that it would have calmed Jin down completely, but he was honestly glad for this Kame´s decision. It would not be easy to contact each other, but they could manage somehow, if they wanted to.

“All right…” Jin repaid the younger´s encouraging smile. “We should have a meeting point assigned then.”

“That´s right... I was thinking about the last big city of the Wyoming Territory,” Kame suggested.

“Cheyenne?” Jin remembered.

“Yes, it´s very close to the borders with Colorado,” the younger one confirmed. “You can leave a message for me there, stating to which town you continued and if I should follow or stay and wait for you.”

“Good idea, but where to leave that message?” Jin pondered. “Not at the local saloon, I guess…”

“I think that the post office should be fine,” Kame reacted. “Every town has one in these days.”

“What about you would send me a telegram there, before you leave Bozeman?” Jin got an idea. “If we´re still there, I´ll pick it up.”

“Sure, I will…” Kame agreed right away.

“That sounds like a good plan to me,” Jin summarized their discussion.

“Let´s hope it will work,” the younger one expressed his wish with a short sigh.

Once they agreed on meeting up again, no matter how long it would take, their gloominess eased up a little. Though Kame still felt uneasy about the fact that it would be impossible for them to know about the other one, even though he knew it was useless to worry about it in advance.

“It´s late. We should rest a little; tomorrow will be a long day for both of us…” Kame stated.

“You´re right,” Jin agreed, shifting himself to the side of the bed. “Come here.”

“But my room is downstairs,” the younger one couldn´t help but tease him.

“Oh, shut up,” the older guy patted the sheets obstinately.

“I´ll just return these to the kitchen and come back, all right?” Kame promised, taking both empty mugs into his hands.

 

Jin watched as the door closed behind the younger one frowning. He didn´t want to stay alone, not this night. Being alone let his worries come back, along with a strong feeling that he was forced to decide about something, what simply couldn´t have been decided right.

Then his eyes fell on the box next to the night stand and from a sudden impulse he dragged it towards himself. Jin pulled the guitar out of its place, where it rested for a damn long time already.

Glancing at his fingers he wondered, just when he stopped observing them closely, as he was suddenly surprised there were almost proper nails. Their recovery was faster than Kame had predicted before.

He caressed the smooth wood thinking about what Yamapi would have thought about his… What was Kame to him at the moment exactly? Friend? Boyfriend? Lover? Well, no matter what kind of relationship it was, Jin was sure that his best friend would have liked Kazuya a lot.

He placed the guitar into the proper position in his hands and let his fingers run through the strings carefully. The instrument was a little out-of-tune, but it took only two tiny alterations for the exactly right sound to resonate in the room.

It felt like forever since he had played the last time. And only now, when he held the smooth wood in his hands, he realized how much he had missed it. First, he just tried to get some nice melody, before he remembered one of the songs, which he was not able to finish years ago. So far that song had no words; nothing seemed to be good enough. But now, as Jin got consumed in the melody quickly, the words were popping up in this mind easily, as they were always there, he just didn´t know about it. Letting himself to be carried away with the effect the music always had on him, his lips formed the simple song about ´care´...

 

 _“Surely all of us are always_  
Carrying around countless sadnesses and weaknesses  
Even if you’re about to collapse, have the courage to keep walking  
Surely as many smiles as the tears you’ve shed are waiting for you…”

*

 

Hearing the sounds of guitar, Kazuya sneaked inside the room, as he didn´t want to interrupt that nice play. The young gunslinger was sitting on the bed, playing the instrument focused on the song completely. And the words of it, created by Jin´s deep voice, in some way stabbed Kame´s heart.

For a few moments, Kame couldn´t have paid an attention to anything else than to the young man playing. Jin´s eyes were half closed, his fingers running over the guitar´s strings skilfully, and the long strands of hair falling around his face, as he was moving a little during the play. Kame wanted to burn that picture into his mind.

The song ended and Jin opened his eyes, burying them into Kame´s. During the short silence, they just kept looking at each other, letting the after-effect of the song pass.

“That was quite nice...” Kazuya stated in appreciation.

“Thank you...” Jin smiled. “I need some more practice, though...”

“I see you can really play that thing,” Kame assumed, putting his coat on the hanger, just next to Jin´s one.

“Sure I can,” the older one huffed, closing the box again. “Why else would I bother to drag it along all the time?”

“It´s just a shame you couldn´t play it much recently…” Kame assumed, while he took his shoes off and crossed the small space towards the bed.

“Well, the reason of it is still obvious,” Jin frowned, studying his unnaturally thin nails again. “They look like from a child…”

Two warm hands took Jin´s fingers gently and raised them up a little, to let more lantern´s light fall on it. Jin glanced up on Kame´s face, as the younger one observed his new nails.

“They look much better than I expected…” Kame murmured, obviously surprised. “What about your stomach?” he asked suddenly. “I think that we somewhat forgot about it…”

“It´s completely fine, you don´t have to worry, my dear healer,” Jin grinned at him.

Kame frowned suspiciously: “Really? No pain at all?” he urged on the older one. “Any stinging or other unpleasant feelings?”

“Kazu…” Jin slipped from Kame´s grasp and caught him for a hand, pulling the younger one down on the bed. “With you around there is no space for anything unpleasant.”

“I didn´t know you can make such a nice flattery,” Kame reacted amusedly and reached for the blanket.

They both lied down close to each other.

“There are tons of things you don´t know about me yet,” a whispering voice informed Kame right into his ear, as Jin leant in, breathing in the scent of Kazuya´s hair.

Kame felt himself shivering at that warm and still so alluring closeness of Jin´s body and let himself rest against his side, leaning his head on the other´s shoulder, while Jin hugged him.

“I´m sorry I cannot continue to figure them out during the following days one after another,” Kame stated gloomily.

“Yeah, me too,” Jin sighed, his fingers tightening on the younger´s shoulder, making also Kame cuddle even tighter to his chest. “Hell, I will miss this…” a statement slipped from Jin´s lips. “But I don´t know if I manage to fall asleep like that today…”

“I can still move downstairs,” Kazuya murmured.

“No way! Forget it!” Jin snapped immediately, making Kame chuckle. “Hey… You think this is funny?” he asked the handsome one, who was now resting with almost half of his body on him.

Kame sighed and then he moved up, getting with his face above Jin´s, to be able to look him in the eyes.

“No… I just think I have the same problem…”

Jin kept their glances connected, as he fondled a few strands of Kazuya´s hair away from his face. He pondered just when they had reached this point, when it was so natural to be close to each other.

“Should we do something about it then?” he suggested quietly.

“Well… That might be dangerous…” the younger one reacted.

“What do you mean by _dangerous_?” Jin wondered.

“Depends on what do you mean by _something_?” Kame asked back.

“You know what?” Jin huffed.

“What?” Kazuya blinked innocently.

“Enough talking.”

“Defi-“

The firm fingers squeezed Kazuya´s hair and the hungry lips sealed his mouth, preventing him from finishing the word. As if Kame was waiting for it, he immediately put up a fight for the control over the deep kiss. They were savouring each other, losing their reasons in the wave of heat, when their tongues joined the battle impatiently, making the kissing wet and messy.

Kame tore off just at the moment when Jin felt a chance for winning this battle. With a darkened face, the younger guy caressed the side of Jin´s neck, going with the fingers up into his hair. He was so close now that Jin could feel his accelerated heartbeat.

Kame´s head lowered again, but he avoided Jin´s lips and attached with the hot cheek to his.

“I love you, Jin.”

Those unexpected words whispered right into his ear threw Jin into the middle of the whirlwind of emotions, which made him numb. Kame pulled away slowly, looking at Jin´s face with his eyes shining. Jin would have never thought that a statement like that could have such a deep and strong affect on him.

“Kazuya…” he just managed to push through the narrow throat, helpless about how he should react.

“You don´t have to say anything,” the younger one stated with a small smile. “I just needed you to know it…”

Jin kept staring at the younger one in utter surprise. Not that he would considered their relationship to be just some flinch or something, Jin had already realized and admitted those deep feelings he had for Kazuya, but he definitely didn´t expect Kame to put it up so bluntly.

Jin was attracted to the younger one so much, that it got him even frightened sometimes, but somehow he was not willing to assign the word ´love´ to it. On the other hand, what did he know about love? He had some affairs and maybe one or two platonic crashes, but so far there was nobody in his life, whom he could have described as a partner, or even a lover.

Kazuya was the first one to influence him that much and Jin was not sure how to deal with it. And as he really didn´t know what to say, he did the only thing which seemed sufficient. He pulled Kame´s head closer and sealed their lips with a kiss once again, unleashing everything what he felt at that moment into it. He couldn´t say it, but he could let the younger one know about what he was thinking in other way. And Kame didn´t seem to be discontent about it, as his grip in Jin´s hair strengthened and he let Jin conquer his mouth, giving in to the other´s possessive way of caressing.

When Jin let the younger one go finally, Kame remained above him with his eyes closed and his breath shortened. The older one was stroking the soft skin on Kame´s chin, waiting anxiously for those goldish eyes to focus on him again.

 

Kazuya recognized that his statement surprised Jin a lot. He expected it. Jin´s attitude towards their relationship was more complicated from the very beginning. And even though Kame was absolutely sure about what he felt towards the older one, he was not so certain about saying it aloud, as there was a part of him which was a little afraid that it would have pushed Jin away. But he couldn´t help it anymore, those words just came out of him without much thinking. He just wanted to let the other one know about it, no matter if it was a mistake or not.

But Jin´s reaction was much nicer than he would have ever expected. That kiss made his heart shiver and flooded him with the feeling of warm safety. He really didn´t have to hear anything from Jin now. That kiss told him enough; the older one cared for him and still longed after him. So even if the older one didn´t consider their relation in the same way as he did, it was enough.

When Kame opened his eyes finally, still feeling his mind floating somewhere high on the bright place and saw a worried expression in those dark orbs, he had to smile.

“You´re over thinking it, Jin…” he approached to the older guy, slipping with his fingers into the other´s hair above the forehead, playing with it gently.

“What?” Jin whispered out a little hoarsely, as if he was not sure about own voice.

“Ah, nothing…” Kame shook his head. “It´s all right like this…”

Kazuya snuggled closer into Jin´s arms, not saying anything else. He felt the older one to be a little tense for a while, before he was able to relax and embrace him more tightly again. It felt so damn comfortable, that Kame couldn´t prevent letting his eyelids shut down, with his mind slowly approaching the resting state.

“Kazu?” the quiet voice murmured into his hair.

“Hn?” Kame reacted only half-conscious.

“I´m happy that I met you.”

Kazuya smiled at that, shifting his head a little and placing a short kiss at the skin of Jin´s neck, before he let it rest on his chest again.

“Me too… I´m happy that… That you wanted to hunt that bear down here...”

 

It didn´t take long before Kazuya´s breath got regular and he dozed off to his sleep in Jin´s embrace. But the older one couldn´t rest and his dark orbs kept staring at the dark ceiling.

Those words were not enough, he knew it. Jin was not completely sure about what exactly he felt for the younger one, and he was not able to make himself explain it, but what he said was definitely an understatement.

With a tired sigh, Jin placed a soft kiss into Kame´s hair and closed his eyes too. When he pondered about it more, searching for an answer inside himself, there was an attraction, affection, care, sleeping lust and strong wish to stay by the younger´s side. But was it love?

 _Of course, it is, you idiot!_ an annoyed voice of his inner self scolded him. _Do you really think you want him just because of his sweet ass?_

Jin pulled the slender form closer, even though it was not even possible anymore. Of course that he wanted Kame because of who he was and not because of how awesome the sex with him felt like. There was no point in lying to himself in that. If it was just about sex, they would have ended up at that point long ago, despite his previous scruples related to the relations between two men.

And then there was that question again... Was it love, what he felt towards Kazuya?

The younger one mumbled something in his sleep and his breath tickled Jin on his neck.

Jin sighed again. Was it even important to worry about it at the moment, when they were supposed to separate next morning?

There was only one certainty, which Jin had on his mind – that it would be difficult as hell to let his beautiful lover go…

***

 

Mr. Franko, who had made such a fuss about selling anything to any Indian before, was surprisingly helpful, when Kame and Jin entered his shop with their long list of requested stuff very early in the morning.

Despite that the man kept complaining almost all the time about them ruining his business just at the start of the winter season, both youngsters left his shop with the empty wallets, but supplied with anything necessary for the long trip. Kame also needed to borrow a spare horse from the local blacksmith to load everything, what he had purchased for the Blackfeet´s.

While the younger one bargained the prize with the sturdy black man, Jin went to see Captain Walker to negotiate with him accompanying his little group on the way to Wyoming and then Colorado. He had also settled his bill with Mr. Harada, which left him almost broke, but at least with clean conscience, while Kame said his goodbye with Brice´s, promising he would stop by at his way back from the mountains.

Both guys met up in the stalls again, where Mike had already prepared their precious horses for the journey. Jin was just checking the buckles on Kuro´s saddle, appreciating Mike´s efforts to do it properly, when two voices were heard.

“Will you come back soon?” the boy´s question reached Jin´s ears at the moment the main entrance opened.

“I will try,” Kame´s response sounded encouragingly, but it was hiding sorrow.

Taking a deep breath, Jin pulled Kuro´s bridle and led him out of his stable to face approaching pair.

“You can start working for Mr. Harada again, you know?” small Mike was almost dancing around the former bartender. “There is a lot of to do, but he cannot find anyone as your substitute. He said nobody is capable to spend a day in saloon without breaking at least two glasses. And he had already tried many applicants…”

“That´s a tempting possibility, Mike, but I don´t think I´ll be coming back,” Kame shook his head regretfully.

“That´s a shame, it´s boring here without you…”

“I can imagine that,” Jin cut in the conversation casually.

“Ah! Mr. Jin! Was everything with Kuro all right?” Mike switched his attention mode to the older one.

“Yes, everything is in a perfect order, thank you,” Jin nodded at that, repaying Kame´s glance.

Mike was almost beaming with pride now, but his face prolonged as soon as he realized that the gunslinger was leaving as well.

“Why are you both leaving at once? It will not be any fun around here…” Mike complained.

Both youngsters kept silent, just exchanging stares in the middle of stalls.

“Mike, can you please go and tell Captain Walker I will be there in a few minutes?” Jin asked the boy pleadingly.

“Of course! Right away, Mr. Jin!”

Mike was already on half way out, when Jin´s call stopped him: “Hey, I told you to address me without that annoying ´Mister´ thing!”

“Got it, Jin!” the boy waved laughing and disappeared outside.

The deafening silence filled up the whole building. They were leaving at once, as Mike said, but not together. That was on the mind of both, as they were burying the picture of the other´s face into their brains.

“Have you got everything?” Kame broke the silence on a forcefully calm voice.

“I hope so,” Jin assumed.

Kame nodded and then he headed to the stable, where Ukushi was waiting for him patiently. Kuro snorted behind stiffened Jin, and nudged him with his muzzle, pushing him forward, clearly showing his annoyance with his master´s hesitation.

At the next moment Jin rushed to catch Kame for an arm, before the younger one could have opened the stable. He turned Kazuya around and pressed against his lips with such an urgency that Kame had to lean back over the wooden counter for support to keep himself standing.

Jin´s demanding lips didn´t leave any doubts in Kame, that he would be able feel that kiss long after it ended. He let himself be carried away by passion, which the older one revealed in their connection and paid it back eagerly, grabbing Jin´s coat with both hands and pulling him even closer, brushing against him with his body. It was unbearable to know that he couldn´t hold onto the older one for much longer. Jin kept kissing him hastily, stealing Kame for his breath and locking him in his arms so firmly it almost hurt.

Neither of them wanted to end it, but despite that they broke their connection almost roughly, trying to keep themselves just at that and not to continue further. No matter how much Kazuya yearned for Jin to have him right there in the stalls, and no matter how much Jin was eager to topple the younger one in the straw and take him, they had to stop.

It was a damn hard test of their self-control for both of them.

“Be careful,” Jin urged on the younger one in a hoarse voice, his orbs filled with the suppressed emotions.

“And you don´t risk much...” Kame repaid him the urgent request.

“Deal,” Jin reacted shortly, still holding the younger one close, with his voice so unfamiliarly whispering,

Kame saw that fight in his expression, the same he felt himself, before Jin finally let him go so suddenly, that it almost staggered him.

Kazuya gulped down heavily, feeling as if he was stolen of something irreplaceable, watching Jin as he approached his horse. Not being able to keep his eyes on the older one, Kame headed to the exit to open both sides of the door.

Jin rode out shortly after that, but stopped Kuro right at Kame´s motionless figure.

“Will you accompany me to the office?” he asked suddenly.

Surprised Kame nodded after a while. There was no reason to, but how could he refuse to stay at Jin´ side for a little longer?

*

 

“It was nice to meet you, Kamenashi,” Captain Walker shook with the youngster´s hand firmly. “I hope we will see each other again.”

“I´m glad I got to know you as well,” Kame reacted politely. “And who knows... Maybe we will meet again sooner than you think,” he added, careful about not even glancing at Jin, whose figure was stiffened in the saddle as a statue.

“Take care,” Walker parted with him turning his horse. “Ready?” he asked his three subordinates and Jin, waiting for their nods. “Let´s go then...”

Captain made his horse move as the first one, with the soldiers following his lead. Kame´s hands on Ukushi´s reins squeezed it hard, when the dark look fell on him, as Jin stayed on the place as the last one. The older one seemed as if he was about to say something, but his lips remained close. The last thing Kame wanted to at the moment was to see Jin leaving; his heart was shaking only at the idea.

“See you soon then?” Kazuya said, even managing to create an encouraging smile.

“Yeah...” the older one´s face was stiffened as he spoke. “Say my regards to Liwan and that I´m sorry I couldn´t part with him personally.”

“Of course, I will,” Kame nodded, slowly turning his Ukushi around. “So... Have a safe journey, Jin.”

No reply came from the older one, but Kame still felt his eyes on himself as he incited his mare to cross the street. He felt it, but didn´t turn back, he couldn´t. He had to focus all his strength to continue riding forward. Despite his heart remained back there, with the handsome gunslinger and his lover...

“Akanishi! Are you coming or what?!” one of the soldiers called after him from the end of the wide street.

Jin almost choked on that horrible feeling, which flooded him as he saw Kame´s departing. Not being for Kuro, who shifted and snorted impatiently, he would have probably frozen on that spot. With a heavy heart, he let his dear horse move forward, turning into the opposite direction from where Kazuya headed.

 _Soon..._ he persuaded himself almost desperately. _We will see each other one day again_.

 

 

 

**END OF RED WEST I.**


End file.
